Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria Testing

General

Synonym/Acronym:
acid hemolysis test, PI linked antigen for PNH.

Rationale
To assist in diagnosing a rare condition called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), wherein red blood cells (RBCs) undergo lysis during and after sleep with hemoglobin excreted in the urine.

Patient Preparation
There are no food, fluid, activity, or medication restrictions unless by medical direction.

Normal Findings
(Method: Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry; acidified hemolysis for Ham test) Normal expression of GPI-linked proteins and fluorescent aerolysin on peripheral RBC and WBC populations for flow cytometry. No hemolysis seen for acidified hemolysis.

Critical Findings and Potential Interventions
N/A

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