Written question asked by Countess of Mar (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Earl Howe (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 December 2010.

Health: Krebs Cycle

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether tests to assess the functional efficiency of the Krebs cycle are available to National Health Service patients.

Answer: There are no tests that can directly assess the functional efficiency of the Krebs cycle. Routine laboratory tests can measure levels of substances that might indicate abnormal functioning of the cycle, and tests undertaken in specialist laboratories can measure substances that are necessary for the cycle to function. Measurement of enzyme activities that are part of the cycle, within cells, is undertaken in some research laboratories, but these indicate enzyme levels and do not show whether the functional efficiency of the cycle is normal or abnormal.

Secondary information