Multiple choice

Acute intermittent porphyria is accompanied by increased urinary

  1. biliverdin

  2. direct bilirubin

  3. heme

  4. porphobilinogen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is characterized by elevated levels of porphobilinogen (PBG) and aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in the urine during acute attacks. This occurs due to a deficiency in porphobilinogen deaminase, causing accumulation of heme precursors proximal to the block. PBG is a specific diagnostic marker for AIP and can be detected by Watson-Schwartz test or Hoeffmann's test.

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