Urinary Metanephrines Metanephrine and normetanephrine are the 3-methoxy metabolites of epinephrine and norepinephrine, respectively. They are metabolized to vanillylmandelic acid or excreted with the urine. Patients with pheochromocytoma or other tumours derived from neuroendocrine cells show elevated urinary levels of total Metanephrines. As catecholamine secretion from neuroendocrine cells might show high variations urine samples collected over a period of 24 hours are used to average these fluctuations. This group of assays is intended for the fast measurement of metanephrine and/or normetanephrine in urine samples. Using a simple hydrolysis step the total metanephrine and normetanephrine can be quantified. If hydrolysis is left away the assays will measure the free fractions of metanephrine and normetanephrine.

The assays show the following common features:

• speed and ease of use
• for in-vitro diagnostic and research applications
• wide standard ranges
• available as ELISA  (with 15 weeks shelf-life)
• the ELISA is automatable
• freedom from drug interferences
• excellent correlation with HPLC
• single and multi parameter kits available