[Quantitative variations of hematological properties during growth in Spanish school children from Barcelona]

A sample of n = 836 male students between 9 and 16 years from Barcelona was analysed for quantitative variations of various hematological characters during growth. The results were compared with a sample of n = 194 adult males between 20 and 45 years. No statistically significant variations were found concerning the levels of calcium, ureic nitrogen, glutamate-oxal-acetat-transaminase (s-GOT), serum albumin and total serum protein. Against that, marked and statistically significant age variations were seen for the levels of alkaline serum phosphatase, glucose, anorganic phosphorus, cholesterol, and uric acid. These variations are without doubt associated with the metabolic processes during growth. Unexplained remain the age variations concerning the bilirubin and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Out of the serum protein fractions only the alpha1- and gamma globulins showed some age variations: The alpha1-fraction increases between 10 and 16 years, the gamma fraction decreases between 9 and 14.