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Pediatric reference intervals for lymphocyte vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Alex Levin1, Charmaine DeSouza, Christian Zaarour

  • 1Pediatric Ophthalmology and Ocular Genetics, Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Clinical Biochemistry
|September 23, 2010
PubMed

Insights

New reference ranges for lymphocyte vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in children aged 0-7 years have been established. These findings provide a reliable benchmark for assessing vitamin C levels in pediatric health.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is essential for numerous physiological functions.
  • Establishing accurate reference intervals for vitamin C in pediatric populations is crucial for clinical assessment.
  • Previous data on lymphocyte vitamin C levels in young children is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine pediatric reference intervals for lymphocyte vitamin C.
  • To provide a reliable benchmark for assessing vitamin C status in children aged 0-7 years.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study involving 194 healthy children aged 0-7 years.
  • Lymphocytes isolated from blood samples collected during elective surgery.
  • Ascorbic acid levels analyzed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
  • Reference intervals established following CLSI and IFCC guidelines.

Main Results:

  • Pediatric reference intervals for lymphocyte vitamin C were determined to be 12.9-52.8 μg/10(8) cells.
  • These reference intervals were found to be independent of age and gender.
  • The established ranges are for healthy, fasted children.

Conclusions:

  • Defined pediatric reference ranges for lymphocyte vitamin C in healthy children (0-7 years).
  • The new reference interval facilitates more reliable assessment of vitamin C status.
  • This can aid in exploring the clinical implications of vitamin C variations on bleeding and other signs.
Abstract

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