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Reference intervals on the Abbot Architect for serum thyroid hormones, lipids and prolactin in healthy children in a

Mattias Aldrimer1, Peter Ridefelt, Peo Rödöö

  • 1Department of Clinical Chemistry, County Hospital of Falun, Falun, Sweden.

Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation
|June 26, 2012
PubMed

Insights

This study establishes new pediatric reference intervals for thyroid hormones, prolactin, and lipids using a community-based sample. These updated ranges, crucial for diagnosing childhood diseases, differ from previous hospital-based data.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Laboratory Medicine

Background:

  • Accurate pediatric reference intervals for thyroid hormones, prolactin, and lipids are vital for identifying serious health conditions in children.
  • Existing reference intervals are often limited by reliance on hospital-based populations, potentially introducing bias.
  • Establishing reliable reference ranges is essential for accurate diagnosis and management of pediatric endocrine and metabolic disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish age- and gender-specific pediatric reference intervals for key thyroid hormones, prolactin, and lipids.
  • To utilize a non-hospital-based cohort to minimize bias associated with previous studies.
  • To provide updated reference data using modern analytical methods for improved clinical utility.

Main Methods:

  • Recruitment of 694 healthy children and adolescents aged 6 months to 18 years from childcare units and schools.
  • Analysis of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (free T4), free triiodothyronine (free T3), total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and prolactin using the Abbott Architect ci8200 platform.
  • Estimation of age- and gender-specific 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles to define reference intervals.

Main Results:

  • Thyroid hormone levels aligned with previous Abbott Architect platform data but differed from other methods.
  • Prolactin showed wide reference ranges with minimal age-related changes and minor adolescent gender differences.
  • Lipid levels (LDL, total cholesterol) showed variations compared to international data, being higher than Canadian but lower than Chinese cohorts.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides crucial, updated, age- and gender-specific pediatric reference intervals for essential analytes.
  • The findings highlight significant differences from previously established reference intervals, emphasizing the need for updated data.
  • Utilizing a community-based sample provides a less biased dataset, improving the reliability of these pediatric reference intervals.

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