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Fasting serum gastrin values in normal Chinese children
Insights
Serum gastrin levels are elevated in newborns and infants, peaking on the third day of life. These physiologic hypergastrinemia levels gradually decrease, reaching adult ranges by approximately two years of age in Chinese children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Serum gastrin plays a crucial role in gastrointestinal physiology.
- Establishing reference ranges for serum gastrin in pediatric populations is essential for accurate diagnosis and monitoring.
- Previous studies have indicated variations in gastrin levels during early development, but specific data for Chinese children are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish reference ranges for serum gastrin in healthy Chinese children from birth to 14 years.
- To describe the developmental pattern of serum gastrin levels during infancy and childhood.
- To compare pediatric gastrin levels with adult reference ranges.
Main Methods:
- Radioimmunoassay was used to measure fasting serum gastrin levels.
- A cohort of 362 healthy Chinese infants and children, aged from newborns to 14 years, was recruited.
- Serum samples were collected and analyzed under controlled conditions.
Main Results:
- Mean serum gastrin levels in cord blood and newborns were significantly higher than adult controls.
- The highest mean gastrin level (179.86 +/- 94.61 pg/ml) was observed on the third day of life, indicating physiologic hypergastrinemia.
- Gastrin levels gradually decreased, reaching adult levels (40-45 pg/ml) around two years of age.
Conclusions:
- This study provides crucial reference ranges for serum gastrin in Chinese children.
- Physiologic hypergastrinemia is a normal finding in the neonatal period.
- Serum gastrin levels exhibit a distinct developmental pattern, declining from infancy to reach adult levels by early childhood.
Abstract:
To determine the reference ranges and developmental pattern of serum gastrin in Chinese children, fasting serum samples of 362 Chinese infants and children aged from newborns to 14 years were measured by radioimmunoassay. All the participants were healthy and were without gastrointestinal disorders. The mean gastrin values for cord blood (111.55 +/- 68.05 pg/ml) and newborns (100.05 +/- 72.43 pg/ml) are higher than those for adult controls (43.85 +/- 15.59 pg/ml). The mean gastrin value achieves its highest level of 179.86 +/- 94.61 pg/ml on the 3rd day of age. Physiologic hypergastrinemia persists throughout the whole neonatal period. The mean gastrin value for infants between 6 days and 6 months of age is 96.08 +/- 50.05 pg/ml, this decreases to 76.73 +/- 44.23 pg/ml at 7 to 12 months of age, and to 75.89 +/- 43.88 pg/ml at 1 year of age. It reaches the low adult level (40-45 pg/ml) at about 2 years of age.