ARUP's Laboratory Test Directory

Serotonin, Serum : 0080397

Mnemonic: SEROT-SER

Methodology: Quantitative High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Performed: Sun, Wed - Fri
Reported: 1-5 days
Specimen Required: Patient Prep: Abstain from medications for 72 hours prior to collection.

Collect: Serum separator tube.

Specimen Preparation: Spin and separate within one hour. Transfer 1 mL serum to an ARUP Standard Transport Tube. (Min: 0.3 mL)

Storage/Transport Temperature: Frozen.

Unacceptable Conditions: Specimens other than serum. Non-frozen specimens.

Stability (collection to initiation of testing): After separation from cells: Ambient: Unacceptable; Refrigerated: 24 hours; Frozen: 1 month

Reference Interval:
50-220 ng/mL
Interpretive Data:

See Compliance Statement B: www.aruplab.com/CS
Note: 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.

In general, EDTA whole blood (as compared to serum) preserved with ascorbic acid will give values most representative of blood concentrations. Most (95 percent) of blood serotonin is found in platelets. Refer to Serotonin, Whole Blood (ARUP test code 0080395).
CPT Code(s): 84260
Cross References: 5-HT (Serotonin, Serum), 5-Hydroxytryptamine (Serotonin, Serum)