The urine is drained into the container for transport to the laboratory. Deliver it to the laboratory or your health care provider as soon as possible upon completion. This test involves only normal urination, and there is no discomfort. There are no risks. The most important function of porphyrins is as components of heme.
Oxygen binds to the iron in the heme molecules.
Various kinds of porphyrins exist with the same basic structure, but with slightly different chemical appearance. The major biochemical pathway includes conversions from porphyrins to delta-ALA , then to PBG, then uroporphyrin , then coproporphyrin, then protoporphyrin, and finally into the end product, heme. Each step requires the presence of an enzyme.