Establishment of Reference Interval for Alkaline Phosphatase in Healthy Children of Various Ethnicities, Aged 0-12 Years

Abstract

Background: To establish a reference interval of alkaline phosphatase for healthy children of various ethnicities, aged 0 years to 12 years in China. Methods: According to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guideline C28-A3, blood specimens were collected in the morning after overnight fasting from 502 healthy children to determine the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level, using the Beckman AU5800 automatic biochemical analyzer. Children were grouped by sex and age. The age groups were as follows: 0 to 1 year, 1 to 3 years, 3 to 6 years, and 6 to 12 years. Results: There were no significant differences between the sex and age groups for the age groups of 0 to 1 year, 1 to 3 years, and 3 to 6 years; as a result, we combined those groups into a single group. The reference interval of ALP is 81.9 to 350.3 U per L in the group aged 0 to 6 years and 48.8 to 445.9 U per L in the group aged 6 to 12 years. Conclusions: The results of this study establish a reference interval for ALP in healthy children, which will provide a basis for screening, diagnosing, and monitoring bone or liver-related diseases in children.