From Monday 11^th August, the Clinical Biochemistry department at Peterborough City Hospital will commence internal services for three tests previously referred to other centres; tacrolimus, ciclosporin and urine oxalate.

 

Immunosuppressants

 

Tacrolimus and ciclosporin will now be available Monday to Friday at PCH. Results will be available the next working day. Updated target therapeutic ranges are as follows:

 

Tacrolimus      5-10ng/mL

 

Ciclosporin      100-200ng/mL

 

Target therapeutic ranges are trough levels for kidney transplant patients more than 6 months post-op. If you require advice on alternative target therapeutic ranges or toxicity cut-offs, please contact the laboratory (email peh-tr.chemimm@nhs.net [1]).

 

Urine oxalate

 

Urine oxalate will now be assayed at PCH. Analysis will be batched with turnaround times of up to two weeks. Urine oxalate is now available on random urine samples via a urinary oxalate:creatinine ratio.

 

Reference ranges for the new assay are as follows:

 

24hr excretion:

<18 years old – 0.14-0.42mmol/24hr

Adult male – 0.08-0.49mmol/24hr

Adult female – 0.04-0.32mmol/24hr

 

 

 

Random urine:

0-4 weeks – 51-931mmol/mol creatinine

4 weeks – 6 months 7-567 mmol/mol creatinine

6 months – 5 years – 7-352 mmol/mol creatinine

>5years - <188 mmol/mol creatinine

 

If you have any further questions regarding these tests please contact the laboratory via email (peh-tr.chemimm@nhs.net [1]). Further information regarding these tests, and all services offered by the Pathology Department at Peterborough City Hospital are available via the department’s web-based user manual (www.pch-pathlab.com [2]).