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Plasma catecholamine levels in children
M Candito1, M Albertini, S Politano
1Laboratoire de Biochimie, Hôpital Pasteur, Nice, France.
Insights
Plasma catecholamine levels, including norepinephrine and epinephrine, are elevated in children up to 24 months old. Adult levels are reached between 24-36 months, with fluctuations indicating environmental sensitivity in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Clinical Chemistry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Conflicting literature data exists regarding plasma catecholamine concentrations in young children.
- Established adult reference ranges for norepinephrine and epinephrine do not directly apply to pediatric populations.
- Understanding developmental changes in catecholamine levels is crucial for accurate clinical assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine plasma catecholamine (norepinephrine and epinephrine) concentrations in healthy children aged two days to fifteen years.
- To establish age-specific reference ranges for pediatric plasma catecholamines.
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of catecholamine levels from infancy to adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Plasma samples were collected from 86 healthy children across a wide age range (two days to fifteen years).
- A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography technique with electrochemical detection was employed for catecholamine quantification.
- Statistical analysis was performed to determine age-related changes and reference intervals.
Main Results:
- Plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations were significantly elevated in children up to 24 months of age.
- A progressive decline towards adult levels was observed between 24 and 36 months of age.
- Fluctuations in catecholamine levels were noted in younger children, potentially reflecting sensitivity to environmental factors.
Conclusions:
- Plasma catecholamine levels exhibit distinct developmental patterns in early childhood.
- The variability in younger children makes blood assays less reliable for detecting catecholaminergic abnormalities under two years of age.
- Urinary catecholamine assays are recommended for evaluating catecholaminergic status in infants and very young children due to established reference values.
Abstract:
While blood norepinephrine and epinephrine levels are well established in adults, literature data concerning concentrations in young children are conflicting. This situation prompted us to assay plasma catecholamines in 86 healthy subjects aged two days to fifteen years using a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography technique with electrochemical detection. Norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations remained elevated up until 24 months of age, then dropped progressively to adult levels between 24 and 36 months, with fluctuations. These fluctuations, which reflect the sensitivity of children to environmental factors, prevented demonstration of any catecholaminergic secretory abnormality by blood assays in subjects under two years of age. Urinary assays, for which established values exist, are the only applicable procedure in such patients.