Age and gender specific pediatric reference intervals for aldolase, amylase, ceruloplasmin, creatine kinase, pancreatic amylase, prealbumin, and uric acid

Background: Reference intervals can vary based on age and gender. Proper partitioning is necessary to classify health status in different age groups. Methods: Seven analytes; aldolase, amylase, ceruloplasmin, creatine kinase, pancreatic amylase, prealbumin and uric acid; were assayed on Roche Modular P analyzers using serum samples from 1765 children (867 females and 898 males: age range, 6 months to 17 y). Subjects 6 months up to 7 y were undergoing minor surgical procedures. Children 7 to 17 y were apparently healthy. Subjects with significant medical history or who were taking any medications were excluded. Results: Separate reference intervals for boys and girls were required for 33% of the groups. Aldolase showed gender variation in the 6-8, 12-14, and 15-17 y. Amylase was the only analyte that showed no significant gender differences within any age group. Both ceruloplasmin and uric acid had significant differences between the 12-14 and 15-17 y groups. Creatine kinase exhibited statistically significant gender differences in all age groups with the exception of 6-8 y. Conclusion: We verified that when establishing pediatric reference intervals, partitioning by age and gender is frequently necessary. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.