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Published on: May 16, 2019
Pediatric reference ranges for zinc protoporphyrin
Offie Porat Soldin1, Maureen Miller, Steven J Soldin
1Soldin Research and Consultants, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA. offie@gwu.edu
Insights
This study establishes pediatric reference ranges for zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) in children aged 0-17 years. Findings detail ZPP levels across different age groups and genders, crucial for clinical interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Chemistry
- Pediatric Hematology
- Biochemical Reference Intervals
Background:
- Zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) is a biomarker indicative of iron status and lead exposure.
- Establishing accurate pediatric reference ranges for ZPP is essential for diagnosing and monitoring various health conditions in children.
- Existing ZPP reference ranges may not adequately cover the diverse pediatric population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine and define pediatric reference ranges for zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) in children from birth to 17 years of age.
- To provide age- and sex-specific ZPP percentiles for improved clinical utility.
- To establish a robust dataset for ZPP analysis in a large pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of blood specimens from 6,478 pediatric patients (0-17 years) collected between January 2001 and June 2002.
- Utilized a computer-adapted Hoffman approach for statistical analysis of ZPP data.
- Data stratified by age groups (0-12 months, 13-24 months, 5-9 years, 10-17 years) and gender.
Main Results:
- Established 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles for ZPP across pediatric age groups and genders.
- ZPP 97.5th percentiles showed a decrease in older age groups (e.g., 5-9 years) compared to infants.
- Median ZPP levels were highest in the 0-12 months age group for both females (25.5 microg/dL) and males (21.5 microg/dL).
Conclusions:
- The study provides comprehensive pediatric reference ranges for zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP).
- These reference ranges highlight significant variations in ZPP levels by age and gender.
- The findings support better interpretation of ZPP test results in pediatric clinical practice.
Objective:
To determine pediatric reference ranges for zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP).
Design And Methods:
The study was conducted in a large pediatric hospital on patient blood specimens (n = 6,478) (0-17 y) accrued from January 2001 to June 2002. The data was analyzed employing the Hoffman approach, which was computer adapted.
Results And Conclusions:
The 2.5(th) and 97.5(th) percentiles for children age 0 to 12 months were 9 to 40 microg/dL (16.6-73.6 micromol/mol heme) for female subjects and 8.5 to 34.5 microg/dL (15.6-63.5 micromol/mol heme) for males. The 97.5(th) percentiles decreased for the 13 to 24 months age group for females (32 microg/dL) (58.9 micromol/mol heme). There was a significant decrease in the 97.5(th) percentile for zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) concentrations for the 5 to 9 yr age group, the 97.5(th) percentile being 30 microg/dL (55.2 micromol/mol heme) in both genders, which increased to 33.5 microg/dL (61.6 micromol/mol heme) in the 10 to 17 yr female age group but not for the males (31.5 microg/dL) (58.0 micromol/mol heme). The highest medians were 25.5 microg/dL (46.9 micromol/mol heme) for females, and 21.5 microg/dL (39.6 micromol/mol heme) for males in the 0 to 12 months age group.
