Age- and Sex-Dynamic Fluctuations and Reference Intervals for Alkaline Phosphatase Among the Spanish Population

Interpretation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity is essential for the diagnosis of certain diseases. ALP changes during life and may vary between different populations.

To establish reference intervals (RIs) and percentile charts for ALP activity in the Spanish population through a multicentric observational study and to compare the RIs to those defined in other countries.

A total of 662 350 ALP measurements from individuals ages 0 to 99 years from 9 Spanish tertiary care centers collected between 2020 and 2022 were analyzed. This study is the largest published on this topic in the literature to date.

Continuous percentile charts for ALP according to sex and age were established which can be used as RIs. Higher levels are reached during the first weeks of life. In puberty, a differential evolution is observed in both sexes, reaching a peak at 10 to 13 years of age in boys and remaining stable in girls at this age. Significant differences were also observed in adults, higher in men between ages 20 and 49 years and between ages 50 and 79 years in women, as reported in some countries.

ALP activity follows an age- and sex-dependent fluctuation with geographic differences. It is important to have appropriate reference values for each population in order to allow for a correct diagnostic interpretation and early diagnosis of diseases related to ALP abnormalities.