What is 5-HIAA?
Also Known As
HIAA
Serotonin Metabolite
Formal Name
5-hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) is the primary metabolite of serotonin, a chemical substance (neurotransmitter) that transmits messages between nerve cells, constrict blood vessels, participates in the wake-sleep cycle, and affects mood. After it is used by the body, serotonin is broken down in the liver, and its metabolites, including 5-HIAA, are excreted in the urine.
Ordinarily, only small varying amounts of 5-HIAA are present in the urine. Large quantities of serotonin and 5-HIAA may be produced, however, by some carcinoid tumors. Carcinoid tumors are slow-growing noncancerous or cancerous neuroendocrine masses that can form in the GI tract, especially in the appendix, and in the lungs.
source: labtestsonline.org
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