Reference interval for prealbumin for children two to 36 months old

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Serum prealbumin (transthyretin) is a sensitive indicator of nutritional status.
• Establishing age-specific reference ranges is crucial for accurate clinical interpretation in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine reference values for serum prealbumin concentration in healthy children aged 2 to 36 months.
• To evaluate the suitability of a single reference interval for this pediatric age group.

Main Methods:

• Quantification of serum prealbumin using a rate immunonephelometric microassay.
• Analysis of data from 76 healthy children aged 2-36 months.
• Comparison of serum and plasma prealbumin concentrations in 41 individuals.

Main Results:

• Age-specific reference ranges for serum prealbumin were established for children aged 2-36 months.
• A statistically significant decrease in mean prealbumin concentration was observed with increasing age (P < 0.01).
• Plasma prealbumin concentrations were found to be approximately 6.7% higher than serum concentrations.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive reference interval of 116-281 mg/L for serum prealbumin is proposed for children aged 2-36 months.
• Despite age-related decreases, a single reference range is deemed acceptable for clinical use in this pediatric cohort.
• The study highlights a consistent difference between serum and plasma prealbumin measurements.