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Establishment of reference intervals for serum amylase and lipase: a large sample study based on Chinese healthy
Panyang Xu1, Bing He1, Qi Zhou2
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Insights
This study establishes crucial age- and sex-specific reference intervals for serum amylase and lipase in healthy Chinese children. These findings aid in diagnosing and understanding pediatric diseases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Clinical Chemistry
- Biomarker Research
Background:
- Accurate reference intervals for serum amylase and lipase are essential for diagnosing pediatric pancreatic conditions.
- Existing reference ranges may not adequately reflect age- and sex-specific variations in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish comprehensive, age- and sex-specific reference intervals for serum amylase and lipase in a large cohort of healthy Chinese children.
- To provide updated reference data for improved clinical diagnosis and prognosis of pediatric diseases.
Main Methods:
- Prospective investigation of 6466 healthy Han children aged 1 month to 18 years.
- Serum amylase and lipase concentrations measured using the VITROS 5600 integrated system.
- Nonparametric 95% percentile intervals used to define reference ranges.
Main Results:
- Serum amylase showed distinct age-specific patterns, with rapid increases in early childhood, a slight decrease in pre-adolescence, and slow increases in adolescence.
- Serum lipase exhibited sex-specific differences after age 1, with higher concentrations observed in females and a general upward trend in both sexes.
- Established age- and sex-specific reference intervals for both enzymes in the studied pediatric population.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully established reliable reference intervals for serum amylase and lipase in healthy Chinese children.
- These new reference intervals offer a more precise tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic diseases in pediatric patients.
- Findings highlight the importance of age and sex considerations when interpreting amylase and lipase levels in children.
Abstract:
This study aimed to establish age- and sex-specific reference intervals for serum amylase and lipase in children by prospective investigation. A total of 6466 healthy Han children of 1 month ∼ <18 years were recruited in communities and schools in five administrative regions of Jilin Province, China. The serum amylase and lipase concentrations were measured on the VITROS 5600 integrated system. The reference intervals were defined by a nonparametric 95% percentile interval. Reference intervals of amylase were divided into four age-specific partitions. It increased rapidly between the ages of 1 month ∼ <1 year and 1 ∼ <5 years, slightly decreased between the ages of 5 ∼ <12 years, and increased slowly between 12 ∼ <18 years. Lipase concentrations showed sex differences after 1-year-old, with reference intervals in males divided into 2 divisions and 3 divisions in females. The lipase concentrations in both males and females showed an upward trend, and the lipase concentrations in females were higher than those in males. This study established reference intervals for amylase and lipase in healthy Chinese children and provided a more accurate explanation for the diagnosis and prognosis of clinical pediatric diseases.
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