N Telopeptide, Serum

Message

For Specimen Integrity during Extreme Weather see the “Lockbox Usage in Extreme Weather” document at the top of this page.

Test Code

NTELO

Alias/See Also

59245

CPT Codes
82523

Preferred Specimen

1 ml Serum

Minimum Volume

0.5 mL

Instructions

Collected whole blood by standard venipuncture technique. Allow blood to fully clot and remove the serum fromt he clot promptly. Specimens collected in Serum Separator tubes (SST) should be centrifuged and serum removed fromt he gel separator into a different tube and shipped. Specimens sent in an SST tube will be rejected. Plasma samples will also be rejected.

Transport Container

Plastic screw-cap vial

Transport Temperature

Frozen

Specimen Stability

Frozen = 2 months

Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)

Serum received in SST tube, plasma

Methodology
Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA)

Setup Schedule

Wednesday

Report Available

7 days

Clinical Significance

Serum N-Telopeptide (NTx) levels may be used in predicting skeletal response (bone mineral density) to antiresorptive therapy and in monitoring bone resorption changes following initiation of antiresorptive therapy. Prior to initiating antiresorptive therapy a serum NTx level is used to determine the probability for a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) after one year in postmenopausal women treated with hormonal antiresorptive therapy relative to those treated with calcium supplementation.

Performing Laboratory
Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Valancia
27027 Tourney Rd
Valencia, CA 91355

The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.