Establishment of Reference Intervals of Blood Parameters Among the Healthy Afghan Population

This study was designed and conducted to validate the reference values of hematological parameters for healthy adult male and female residents of Kabul city, Afghanistan.

In this cross-sectional study, the samples were collected according to a non-random sampling method. Blood samples were collected from students and employees of Kabul University. The study included 166 males and 125 females, aged 18-45 years. The selection and exclusion of participants were carried out according to a questionnaire and the assessment of serum ferritin and vitamin B₁₂ levels. Candidates with lower serum ferritin and vitamin B₁₂, a history of chronic disease, females with menstruation or pregnancy, and those with chronic abdominal pain were excluded.

Reference ranges for all blood parameters were determined by a non-parametric method. The determined reference values were compared between males and females by the Z-test. Reference intervals for hemoglobin (4.5-6.3 g/dL for males and 3.66-5.67 g/dL for females) and hematocrit (36.23-55.93% for males and 30.20-53.86% for females) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in males. No significant (p<0.05) differences were observed between the reference intervals for the red blood cell count.

Therefore, we conclude that the commonly used reference intervals should be revised for the Afghan population, as our findings indicated higher reference values for the hemoglobin and hematocrit indices.