Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
Evaluation of a Point-of-Care Testing Analyzer for Measuring Peripheral Blood Leukocytes
Published on: March 22, 2022
Reference intervals for complete blood count parameters in the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil): a
Nívea Aparecida Almeida1, Sandhi Maria Barreto2, Letícia Gonçalves Resende Ferreira3
1Undergraduate Student, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei (UFSJ), Divinópolis (MG), Brazil.
Background:
Complete blood count (CBC) is the most frequently requested laboratory test worldwide, providing essential clinical information. In Brazil, many laboratories still use reference intervals (RIs) that are inadequately defined or not representative of the local population. Establishing population-specific RIs is crucial for accurate interpretation, diagnosis, and clinical decision making.
Objective:
To establish RIs for CBC parameters in a sample of Brazilian adults.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 2,417 healthy individuals who participated in the baseline (2008-2010) of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Venous blood collection and storage were performed according to the procedures established by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) in 2018. CBC was performed in laboratories with laboratory proficiency. The RIs were calculated using the nonparametric method proposed by the CLSI.
Results:
The RIs were stratified by sex only for the following parameters: Red blood cells (RBC; × 106/mm3): Male (4.4-5.6), Female (3.9-5.1); Hemoglobin (g/dL): Male (13.2-16.7), Female (11.8-14.9); Hematocrit (%): Male (39-49), Female (35.3-44.2); Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC; g/dL): Male (32.3-35.7), Female (32-35.1); Platelets (× 103/mm3): Male (146-319), Female: (170-352). The other parameters were as follows: mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (fL): (79.9-96); mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) (pg): (26.4-32.5); White blood cells (WBC; /mm3): (3,700-8,610); Neutrophils (/mm 3): (1,666-5,705); Eosinophils (/mm3): (23.8-530); Basophils (/mm3): (0-112); Lymphocytes (/mm3): (1,121-2,824); Monocytes (/mm3): (240-751.7).
Conclusion:
Our results agree with those of other studies that have proposed RIs for CBC parameters. The differences found in MCV, neutrophil and WBC parameters (total population), and MCHC (both sexes) may be due to differences in the study populations, sample sizes, and pre-analytical and analytical study variables.
Related Concept Videos
02:20Longitudinal Research
01:26Longitudinal Studies
01:15Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(one-step method)
Prepare for the Procedure: