Establishment of reference intervals of 24 chemistries in apparently healthy adult Han population of Northern China

Background: The availability of reference intervals is essential for physicians to interpret laboratory results. Most of our laboratory reference intervals are derived from data on the foreign population. We have studied the reference intervals of 24 common laboratory biochemical tests in an apparently healthy adult Han population of Northern China. Methods: 1364 healthy individuals between 20 and 79years old were recruited. 24 different chemical analytes were tested by the Roche Modular P 800 analyzer. We stratified the populations by gender and age through applying exclusion criteria, and the reference intervals were obtained by statistical analysis. Results: Reference intervals for 24 common analytes in a gender and age appropriate adult Han population of Northern China are reported. Conclusion: Our study provides adequate laboratory data on reference intervals. The results emphasize the significance of establishing population-based reference intervals for a clinical laboratory. (C) 2012 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.