A method for deriving normal ranges from laboratory specimens applied to uric acid in males

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Establishing accurate normal reference ranges is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring various health conditions.
• Traditional methods for determining normal ranges often rely on specific donor populations, which may not fully represent the general patient population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the normal range of uric acid concentration in plasma from male outpatients.
• To evaluate the utility of outpatient specimens with normal urea concentrations as a source for establishing normal ranges of other biochemical substances.

Main Methods:

• Plasma uric acid concentrations were analyzed in male blood donors to establish a reference range.
• Plasma uric acid concentrations were also analyzed in male outpatients with normal urea levels, and the distribution of these values was examined.

Main Results:

• The normal range for uric acid in male blood donors was found to be 3.3 to 7.5 mg/100 ml.
• For male outpatients with normal urea concentrations, a positively skewed distribution of uric acid values yielded a normal range of 3.2 to 7.6 mg/100 ml.
• The derived normal range for uric acid in outpatients closely matched that of blood donors.

Conclusions:

• Plasma uric acid levels in male outpatients with normal urea concentrations provide a reliable normal range.
• Utilizing selected outpatient specimens offers a practical and convenient approach for determining normal ranges of various biochemical analytes.
• This methodology can potentially streamline the process of establishing population-specific reference intervals in clinical laboratories.