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N Telopeptide, Serum

NTX, serum, N-Telopeptide, Serum, Crosslinked telopeptide

Test Codes

Mayo: SNTX, EPIC: LAB6114, Beaker: XNTXS

Department

Send Outs

Instructions

A morning collection from fasting patients is preferred. If not possible, collect the baseline and subsequent specimens under the same circumstances.

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: One plain Red-top tube.
Also acceptable: One Gold-top SST tube.

Send specimen for processing immediately after collection.

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Let specimen clot 30-60 minutes then centrifuge to separate serum from cells. Transfer serum to a plastic transport tube and freeze (-20°C/-4°F or below) immediately.

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: 0.5 mL serum, frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below). (Minimum: 0.2 mL)

Rejection Criteria

Severely hemolyzed, icteric, or lipemic specimens.

Specimens not collected and processed as indicated.

In-Lab Processing

Let specimen clot 30-60 minutes then centrifuge to separate serum from cells. Transfer serum to a plastic transport tube and freeze (-20°C/-4°F or below) immediately.

Transport: 0.5 mL serum, frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below). (Minimum: 0.2 mL)

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Room Temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): unacceptable
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): 24 hours
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): 28 days

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Specimen retention time is determined by the policy of the reference laboratory. Contact the Send Outs Laboratory with any questions.

Laboratory

Sent to Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester, MN.

Performed

Thursday.
Results available in 2-6 days.

Reference Range

By report.

Test Methodology

Quantitative Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay.

Clinical Utility

Approximately 90% of organic bone is made up of Type 1 collagen. Type I collagen is a helical-protein that is cross-linked at the N-terminal and C-terminal ends of the molecular and forms the basic fabric and tensile strength of bone tissue. These cross-links are released durning bone remodeling by osteoclasts. Cross-Linked N-telopeptides of Type I collagen (NTX), found in serum and urine as a stable bone, reorption, offer a valuable tool to monitor bone metabolism.

CPT Codes

82523
LOINC:  Crosslink 21215-9, NTX 35334-2

Contacts

Last Updated

7/9/2021