Carnitine, Free and Total : 70107

CARNFT or 70107

Carnitine, Free; Carnitine, Esters; Carnitine, Total; Carnitine Esterfied/Free Ratio

Panel includes: Carnitine, Total; Carnitine, Free; Carnitine Esters; and Carnitine Esterified/Free Ratio.

Patient should be in a well-fed state.

Plain red. Also acceptable: Green (no gel) (sodium heparin).

Centrifuge and aliquot serum or plasma ASAP. Avoid hemolysis. Transfer 1 mL serum or plasma into a standard transport tube and freeze immediately. (Min: 0.5 mL)

Frozen.

After separation from cells: Ambient: 5 hours; Refrigerated: 5 days; Frozen: 30 days

Moderate and gross hemolysis.

Monday  - Saturday

4-5 days (From receipt at performing laboratory)

Carnitine, Total
Adult Male 30-70 µmol/L
Adult Female 25-58 µmol/L
Male ≤17 Years 32-62 µmol/L
Female ≤17 Years 28-59 µmol/L

Carnitine, Free
Adult Male 23-59 µmol/L
Adult Female 19-48 µmol/L
Male ≤17 Years 25-54 µmol/L
Female ≤17 Years 19-51 µmol/L

Carnitine, Esters
Adult Male 4-15 µmol/L
Adult Female 4-13 µmol/L
Male ≤17 Years 4-12 µmol/L
Female ≤17 Years 3-16 µmol/L

Esterified/Free Ratio
Adult Male 0.12-0.39
Adult Female 0.13-0.42
Male ≤17 Years 0.09-0.35
Female ≤17 Years 0.09-0.49

Serum carnitine analysis is useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with carnitine deficiency (either primary or secondary). Primary carnitine deficiency is an autosomal recessively inherited genetic condition that affects carnitine uptake by cells and tissues through a defect in the plasma membrane carnitine transporter. Secondary carnitine deficiency can be seen in some disease states or in patients on carnitine-poor diets, but is also seen in a number of metabolic disorders. In these disorders, carnitine complexes with the accumulated substrate of the blocked metabolic step, and the resulting acylcarnitine ester is excreted in the urine, leading to a depletion of carnitine in the patient.