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Immunology & Autoimmune
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Currently under review
Pending specialist review and validation.
The valine test measures the amount of valine, an essential branched-chain amino acid, in your blood or urine. Valine helps your body build proteins and support muscle and energy metabolism. Because your body cannot make valine, it must come from your diet or nutrition support.
Doctors often order valine as part of a comprehensive amino acid profile. It can help evaluate symptoms such as poor feeding, vomiting, lethargy, or developmental concerns in infants and children, and it may be used to monitor nutrition therapy or suspected inherited metabolic conditions.
Abnormal valine levels can point to problems with how your body processes branched-chain amino acids, including conditions like maple syrup urine disease. Levels may also shift with illness, fasting, trauma, or heavy exercise when your body is breaking down protein for energy. In adults, testing can support the evaluation of nutrition status, use of high-protein diets or supplements, and liver or kidney conditions that influence amino acid handling.
Your clinician may order this test in newborns after an abnormal screen, in children with unexplained neurologic or feeding issues, or in anyone with suspected metabolic or nutritional problems. Understanding valine alongside leucine and isoleucine, and with clinical context, helps guide diagnosis and treatment.
Your result is interpreted with your symptoms, diet, medications, and other amino acid levels. Higher values can occur with inherited disorders that affect branched-chain amino acid breakdown, with high protein intake or supplements, or during times of physical stress or illness. Lower values can reflect insufficient intake, malabsorption, or altered metabolism in liver disease.
Because different specimen types are used, your provider will consider whether the result is from blood or urine and may compare it with related markers such as other amino acids or organic acids. If results are unexpected, your clinician may repeat testing under standardized conditions, review your diet and supplements, and consider confirmatory studies such as a comprehensive amino acid profile, urine organic acids, or genetic testing. Do not change your diet or supplements without medical advice.
Reference intervals vary by laboratory, analyzer, methodology, population, and units. The ranges shown here are for education only. Always interpret your results against the reference interval printed on your own lab report.
Recent meals can raise branched-chain amino acids. Your provider may request a fasting morning sample to reduce the effect of recent protein intake and achieve more consistent results.
High-protein diets, protein shakes, or branched-chain amino acid powders can increase valine. Share all nutrition products and special diets with your care team.
Infection, fever, surgery, trauma, or intense exercise can increase protein breakdown and shift valine levels. Results taken during acute illness may differ from your usual baseline.
Liver disease can alter amino acid metabolism and lower or redistribute levels. Kidney function affects urine concentrations and creatinine-corrected values, which your clinician will consider.
Corticosteroids, certain anticonvulsants, and nutrition therapies such as total parenteral nutrition can change amino acid patterns. Provide a complete medication and supplement list.
Delayed processing, hemolysis, or improper storage can affect amino acid stability. Laboratories often require prompt separation and freezing to ensure accurate measurement.
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