Preferred Specimen(s) 2 mL frozen serum collected in a (red-top) tube (no gel)
Instructions Spin and transfer to a plastic transport vial. Mark the specimen type as serum on the vial. Freeze and submit to the laboratory. Do not submit glass tubes.
Note: Sodium or lithium heparin is no longer acceptable specimen types.
Transport Container Plastic screw-cap vial
Transport Temperature Frozen
Reject Criteria
- Plasma
- Received room temperature
- Received refrigerated
- Gross Hemolysis
- Lipemia
Methodology Immunochemiluminometric Assay (ICMA)
Clinical Significance The major function of PTH is to maintain the serum total calcium concentration within a narrow range. The net effects of PTH are to increase the serum concentration of calcium and to decrease that of phosphate. The assay is useful in making the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and a differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia. The assay helps in distinguishing hypercalcemia caused by either primary hyperparathyroidism or malignant disease.