[A semiquantitative rapid test for cysteine: possible use for monitoring the ascorbic acid therapy in cystinuria and cystine lithiasis].

A semiquantitative method is presented for the determination of cysteine in urine, based on the formation of a red cysteine/nitroprusside salt. The method is suitable as a rapid test for checking the progress of ascorbic acid therapy of cystinuria and cystine urolithiasis. It guarantees acceptable reproducibility of values and can be easily carried out in any clinical chemical laboratory. With the K2CO3/nitroprusside test described and an additional colorimetric determination of cystine (CN-/nitroprusside), a separate semiquantitative differentiation of cysteine and cystine in fresh (!) urine is possible.