Serotonin, Serum
Test Mnemonic
SERTON
CPT Codes
- 84260 - QTY (1)
LOINC ®
27057-9
Aliases
- 5-Hydroxytryptamine
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mL | Serum | SST (Gold) | Frozen | Separate specimens must be submitted when multiple specimens are ordered. Centrifuge and transfer serum into an amber transport tube within 1 hour of collection. |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated | After separation from cells: 24 hours |
| Frozen | After separation from cells: 1 month |
| Ambient | After separation from cells: Unacceptable |
Days Performed
Sun, Tue - Fri
Turnaround Time
2 - 6 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) |
Reference Range
| Serotonin, Serum | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Freetext | 50 - 220 ng/mL |
Special Info
Patient Prep: Abstain from medications for 72 hours prior to collection. Separate specimens must be submitted when multiple specimens are ordered. Specimens other than serum are unacceptable. Non-frozen specimens will not be accepted. This test is New York DOH approved.
Clinical Info
Medications that may affect serotonin concentrations include lithium, MAO inhibitors, methyldopa, morphine, and reserpine. In general, foods that contain serotonin do not interfere significantly. Slight increases may be seen in acute intestinal obstruction, acute MI, cystic fibrosis, dumping syndromes, and nontropical sprue. Metastasizing abdominal carcinoid tumors often show serotonin concentrations greater than 400 ng/mL.