25679 Procollagen I Intact N-Terminal, Serum (PINP)

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​Procollagen I Intact N-Terminal

​This test should not be requested in patients who have recently received radioisotopes, therapeutically or diagnostically, because of potential assay interference. A recommended time period before collection cannot be made because it will depend on the isotope administered, the dose given, and the clearance rate in the individual patient. Specimens will be screened for radioactivity prior to analysis. Radioactive specimens received in the laboratory will be held and assayed after the radioactivity has sufficiently decayed. This will result in a test delay.

There is diurnal variation of procollagen I intact N-terminal propeptide (PINP) levels, with the values being higher at night. When serial measurements of PINP are performed, specimens should be collected at the same time of the day.

PINP is metabolized in the liver. In individuals with severe liver disease, clearance from the circulation might be affected resulting in elevated PINP levels.

 In rare cases, some individuals can develop antibodies to mouse or other animal antibodies (often referred to as human anti-mouse antibodies [HAMA] or heterophile antibodies), which may cause interference in some immunoassays. Caution should be used in interpretation of results, and the laboratory should be alerted if the result does not correlate with the clinical presentation. 

​Procollagen type I propeptides are derived from collagen type I, which is the most common collagen type found in mineralized bone. In bone, collagen is synthesized by osteoblasts in the form of procollagen. This precursor contains a short signal sequence and terminal extension peptides: amino-terminal propeptide (PINP) and carboxy-terminal propeptide. These propeptide extensions are removed by specific proteinases before the collagen molecules form. Both propeptides can be found in the circulation and their concentration reflects the synthesis rate of collagen type I. Although collagen type I propeptides may also arise from other tissues (such as the skin, vessels, fibrocartilage, and tendons), most nonskeletal tissues exhibit a slower turnover than bone, and contribute very little to the circulating pool of PINP. PINP is considered the most sensitive marker of bone formation and it is particularly useful for monitoring bone formation therapies and antiresorptive therapies; it is recommended that the test be performed at baseline before starting osteoporosis therapy and performed again 3 to 6 months later.

Reference values have not been established for patients who are <18 years of age.

Adult male: 22-87 mcg/L

Adult female premenopausal: 19-83 mcg/L

Adult female postmenopausal: 16-96 mcg/L