Absorbance measurements for diagnosing alkaptonuria

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19200
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Laboratory medicine
• Research Institution: Ehime Prefectural University of Health Science
• Principal Investigator: TOKUHARA YASUNORI 愛媛県立医療技術大学, 保健科学部, 講師(移行) (60746329)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: アルカプトン尿 / ホモゲンチジン酸 / ベンゾキノン酢酸 / 分光法 / 酸化剤 / 結晶次亜塩素酸ソーダ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Alkaptonuria is an amino acid metabolic disorder. The urine of patients with alkaptonuria turns dark brown at room temperature after several hours to days and this color change is accelerated by addition of alkali. In order to develop a facile
screening test for alkaptonuria, we added alkali to urine samples obtained from patients with alkaptonuria and measured the absorbance spectra. Addition of alkali to alkaptonuric urine exhibited characteristic absorption peaks at 406 nm and 430 nm. In addition, we added alkali with sodium hypochlorite pentahydrate, which is a strong oxidant, to alkaptonuric urine and observed changes in its color. Urine became a darker brown following the addition of alkali with sodium hypochlorite pentahydrate than with addition of alkali.

Free Research Field

病態検査学