scholarly journals Statistical methods for constructing gestational age-related reference intervals and centile charts for fetal size

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Silverwood ◽  
T. J. Cole
2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 311-317
Author(s):  
Jakob Zierk ◽  
Markus Metzler ◽  
Manfred Rauh

Abstract Laboratory tests are essential to assess the health status and to guide patient care in individuals of all ages. The interpretation of quantitative test results requires availability of appropriate reference intervals, and reference intervals in children have to account for the extensive physiological dynamics with age in many biomarkers. Creation of reference intervals using conventional approaches requires the sampling of healthy individuals, which is opposed by ethical and practical considerations in children, due to the need for a large number of blood samples from healthy children of all ages, including neonates and young infants. This limits the availability and quality of pediatric reference intervals, and ultimately negatively impacts pediatric clinical decision-making. Data mining approaches use laboratory test results and clinical information from hospital information systems to create reference intervals. The extensive number of available test results from laboratory information systems and advanced statistical methods enable the creation of pediatric reference intervals with an unprecedented age-related accuracy for children of all ages. Ongoing developments regarding the availability and standardization of electronic medical records and of indirect statistical methods will further improve the benefit of data mining for pediatric reference intervals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaijin Wang ◽  
Xuetong Zhu ◽  
Qi Zhou ◽  
Jiancheng Xu

Abstract Background Biochemical analytes provide information for neonatal disease management and therapy, and population-based reference intervals (RIs) are essential to accurately interpret laboratory test results. This study aimed to establish local RIs for biochemical assays in term neonates. Methods A total of 195 healthy term neonates from birth to 3rd day were recruited as reference individuals prospectively. Analytes of 26 common biochemistries were measured using the VITROS 5600 Integrated System. The 3-level nested ANOVA was performed to assess the need for partitioning RIs of each analyte, and RIs were derived by a nonparametric method or robust method. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate specific correlations between the analytes and individual characteristics including age, gender, gestational age, birthweight and delivery mode. Results There were no between-sex differences in all analytes, whereas there were significant between-day-age differences in 6 analytes. Small between-delivery-mode differences were observed in the results for potassium, phosphorus, and urea. The major related factor of most analytes was postnatal age. During the first 3 days, values of iron, lipids and lipoproteins increased; creatinine, urea, uric acid, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase decreased; other analytes showed slight changes or relatively stable trends. Reference limits of some analytes, particularly lactate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase, were significantly different from adult and pediatric groups. Conclusions RIs of 26 common biochemical analytes are established for term neonates aged 0 to 3 days in northeast China. Additionally, it is suggested that age-related changes should be valued in the clinical decision-making process for newborns.


2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (04) ◽  
pp. 272-279
Author(s):  
Chaochao Ma ◽  
Xiaoqi Li ◽  
Lixin Liu ◽  
Xinqi Cheng ◽  
Fang Xue ◽  
...  

AbstractThyroid hormone reference intervals are crucial for diagnosing and monitoring thyroid dysfunction during early pregnancy, and the dynamic change trend of thyroid hormones during pregnancy can assist clinicians to assess the thyroid function of pregnant women. This study aims to establish early pregnancy related thyroid hormones models and reference intervals for pregnant women. We established two derived databases: derived database* and derived database#. Reference individuals in database* were used to establish gestational age-specific reference intervals for thyroid hormones and early pregnancy related thyroid hormones models for pregnant women. Individuals in database# were apparently healthy non-pregnant women. The thyroid hormones levels of individuals in database# were compared with that of individuals in database* using nonparametric methods and the comparative confidence interval method. The differences in thyroid stimulating hormone and free thyroxine between early pregnant and non-pregnant women were statistically significant (p<0.0001). The reference intervals of thyroid stimulating hormone, free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine for early pregnant women were 0.052–3.393 μIU/ml, 1.01–1.54 ng/dl, and 2.51–3.66 pg/ml, respectively. Results concerning thyroid stimulating hormone and free thyroxine reference intervals of early pregnancy are comparable with those from other studies using the same detection platform. Early pregnancy related thyroid hormones models showed various change patterns with gestational age for thyroid hormones. Early pregnancy related thyroid hormones models and reference intervals for pregnant women were established, so as to provide accurate and reliable reference basis for the diagnosing and monitoring of maternal thyroid disfunction in early pregnancy.


Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 446
Author(s):  
Jennifer T. Saville ◽  
Maria Fuller

Following clinical indications, the laboratory diagnosis of the inherited metabolic myopathy, Pompe disease (PD), typically begins with demonstrating a reduction in acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), the enzyme required for lysosomal glycogen degradation. Although simple in concept, a major challenge is defining reference intervals, as even carriers can have reduced GAA, and pseudodeficiencies complicate interpretation. Here, we developed a mass spectrometric assay for quantification of a urinary glycogen metabolite (tetrasaccharide) and reported on its utility as a confirmatory test for PD in a diagnostic laboratory. Using two age-related reference intervals, eight returned tetrasaccharide concentrations above the calculated reference interval but did not have PD, highlighting non-specificity. However, retrospective analysis revealed elevated tetrasaccharide in seven infantile-onset (IOPD) cases and sixteen late-onset (LOPD) cases, and normal concentrations in one heterozygote. Prospective tetrasaccharide analysis in nine individuals with reduced GAA confirmed IOPD in one, LOPD in six and identified two heterozygotes. Using this metabolite as a biomarker of therapeutic response was not overly informative; although most patients showed an initial drop following therapy initiation, tetrasaccharide concentrations fluctuated considerably and remained above reference intervals in all patients. While useful as a confirmation of PD, its utility as a biomarker for monitoring treatment warrants further investigation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 182 (5) ◽  
pp. 459-471
Author(s):  
Marco Mezzullo ◽  
Guido Di Dalmazi ◽  
Alessia Fazzini ◽  
Margherita Baccini ◽  
Andrea Repaci ◽  
...  

Objective To evaluate the independent impact of age, obesity and metabolic risk factors on 13 circulating steroid levels; to generate reference intervals for adult men. Design Cross-sectional study. Methods Three hundred and fifteen adults, drug-free and apparently healthy men underwent clinical and biochemical evaluation. Thirteen steroids were measured by LC-MS/MS and compared among men with increasing BMI. Moreover, the independent impact of age, BMI and metabolic parameters on steroid levels was estimated. Upper and lower reference limits were generated in steroid-specific reference sub-cohorts and compared with dysmetabolic sub-cohorts. Results We observed lower steroid precursors and testosterone and increase in estrone levels in men with higher BMI ranges. By multivariate analysis, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and dihydrotestosterone decreased with BMI, while cortisol decreased with waist circumference. Estrone increased with BMI and systolic blood pressure. Testosterone decreased with worsening insulin resistance. 17-hydroxypregnenolone and corticosterone decreased with increasing total/HDL-cholesterol ratio. Age-related reference intervals were estimated for 17-hydroxypregnenolone, DHEA, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, corticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, cortisol and androstenedione, while age-independent reference intervals were estimated for progesterone, 11-deoxycorticosterone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrone and estradiol. Testosterone lower limit was 2.29 nmol/L lower (P = 0.007) in insulin resistant vs insulin sensitive men. Furthermore, the upper limits for dihydrotestosterone (−0.34 nmol/L, P = 0.045), cortisol (−87 nmol/L, P = 0.045–0.002) and corticosterone (−10.1 nmol/L, P = 0.048–0.016) were lower in overweight/obese, in abdominal obese and in dyslipidaemic subjects compared to reference sub-cohorts, respectively. Conclusions Obesity and mild unmedicated metabolic risk factors alter the circulating steroid profile and bias the estimation of reference limits for testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, cortisol and corticosterone. Applying age-dependent reference intervals is mandatory for steroid precursors and corticosteroids.


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