Gut Hormones
The only hormones measured by the Gut Hormone Laboratory are: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP); pancreatic polypeptide (PP); gastrin; pancreatic glucagon (PG); somatostatin (SS); chromogranin A (CgA).
The gut hormone tests are to aid in the diagnosis of functioning pancreatic NETs (fPNET) and should only be requested when there is a strong suspicion of a fPNET. The gut hormone tests due to their extreme rarity should not be used to rule out disease or to investigate vague symptoms unrelated to fPNETs. Chromogranin A is a general NET biomarker which is more frequently elevated than the gut hormone tests (VIP, PP, gastrin, PG, SS) but should still only be requested when there is a strong suspicion of a NET. When requesting gut hormone tests, include in the clinical details the fPNET that is under investigation. This will ensure that in the event of there being insufficient sample the appropriate gut hormone tests can be prioritised for measurement.
| VIP normal | < 30pmol/L |
| Glucagon normal | < 50pmol/L |
| Gastrin normal | < 40pmol/L |
| PP normal | < 300pmol/L |
| Somatostatin normal | < 150pmol/L |
| CgA normal | < 60pmol/L |
Transfer blood to a commercial EDTA tube. Mix by inversion and transfer without delay to the laboratory. Centrifuge the blood within 15 minutes of venepuncture (this may be extended to 30 minutes if only CgA is required).
Visible haemolysis invalidates the result. Delay in separation and freezing invalidates the result. For gastrin measurement, H2 blockers should be stopped for 72h and Omeprazole for two weeks, before blood is taken.
Record last updated
January 13, 2026
Sample Container
4ml EDTA Vacutainers (Lavender top)
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Test Results
Yes, we have a Pathology User Guide
Yes. Please email your request to Imperial.nwlpcustomerservice@nhs.net
Results are communicated to clinical staff and are normally not communicated direct to patients either on telephone requests or in written report. If you need to contact us please click here to view the contact details page
Please contact the Customer Service Team Monday to Friday from 8:30am – 6:00pm on 0203 313 5353. Alternatively, see the Pathology User Guide for how to contact the relevant department. If advice is not urgent you can also email your query to Imperial.nwlpcustomerservice@nhs.net
Additional tests may be added by discussion with the relevant laboratory. The time limit for adding additional tests to a sample already received in the laboratory will depend on the type of sample and the department it was sent to.
Information on the repertoire of tests performed by pathology, including reference ranges, turnaround times and specimen requirements, can be found in the test directory.
Phlebotomy services are not managed by NWLP. For further information please see:
Imperial College Healthcare Trust Phlebotomy services
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Phlebotomy services
NWLP operates UKAS accredited medical laboratories as per the references below. The current scope of accreditation for all NWLP’s laboratories can be found on the UKAS website.
See the following UKAS ref numbers:
- Clinical Biochemistry Ref: 8673
- Haematology and Blood Transfusion Ref: 8674
- Infection & Immunity Sciences (Including Immunology, Virology, Microbiology and Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics ) Ref: 8659
- Cellular Pathology (Including Histopathology, Cytology and Molecular Pathology) Ref: 9615
If you require copies of our certificate of accreditation and associated documentation please contact Imperial.nwlpcustomerservice@nhs.net.
UKAS requires the laboratories to be accredited for a particular repertoire/scope (ISO15189), any changes or additions to repertoire require assessment by UKAS (extension to scope).
The BD Hospital Tube Guide, BD GP Tube Guide and BD Paediatric Tube Guide provide visual references to the correct tube types and collection instructions.
Home testing
INSTRUCTION SHEET FOR BLOOD SAMPLE COLLECTION
We also have two instruction videos available (one with subtitles and one without) – please click on the links to view the videos on Google.
Our accreditations
Upholding excellence in diagnostic standards
Our laboratories are accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) against the international standard ISO15189:2022. UKAS is the accreditation body for the UK that assesses medical laboratories.
Find out more about our accreditations on the UKAS website.
UKAS website