[Direct spectrophotometric determination of urinary uroporphyrin and coproporphyrin using zerocrossing second...

The use of zero-crossing second-derivative spectrophotometry allows simultaneous determination of uroporphyrin and coproporphyrin directly in urines. Linearity and repeatability are excellent. Detection limit is about 8 nmol/l. Specificity is excellent too, except in unusual porphyrias where porphyrins with 5, 6 or 7 carboxylic groups are encountered. In such a case, this method allows the detection of increased porphyrins contents. The main advantage of this technique is its simplicity: it needs just to acidify urines and to plot a spectrum from 380 to 440 nm to determine the uroporphyrin and coproporphyrin concentrations. So it may be a very useful technic for clinical biochemistry laboratories in charge of monitoring patients suffering from porphyria.