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Influence of fasting and sample collection time on 38 biochemical markers in healthy children: a CALIPER substudy

M D Pasic1, D A Colantonio, M K Chan

  • 1Clinical Biochemistry Division, Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Clinical Biochemistry
|July 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Fasting is crucial for accurate pediatric biochemical marker analysis, as both fasting status and time of day significantly impact results. Understanding these variations is essential for correct clinical interpretation in children.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Pediatric Laboratory Medicine
  • Biochemical Analysis

Background:

  • Obtaining fasting samples in pediatric patients, especially neonates, presents significant challenges.
  • The Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals (CALIPER) aims to establish reliable reference intervals for pediatric biochemical markers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of fasting versus non-fasting states on serum concentrations of pediatric biochemical markers.
  • To assess variations in these markers at different times of the day in children and adolescents.

Main Methods:

  • Blood samples were collected from 27 healthy children and adolescents (aged 4-18) at four time points: overnight fasting, mid-morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon.
  • Paired t-tests were used to evaluate the effect of fasting on 38 chemistries, while repeated-measures ANOVA assessed diurnal variations.

Main Results:

  • Fasting status significantly affected 22 analytes, with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol showing the most pronounced change.
  • Postprandial values generally decreased, with exceptions like triglycerides, which increased.
  • Twenty-eight chemistries exhibited significant differences across the tested times of day.

Conclusions:

  • Fasting is a necessary condition for the accurate measurement of specific biochemical markers in pediatric populations.
  • Clinicians should consider diurnal variations and the impact of feeding when ordering and interpreting non-fasting laboratory tests in children.
Abstract

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