Serum osteocalcin and parathyroid hormone in healthy children assessed with two new automated assays.
BACKGROUND
The recent introduction of new automated assays needs careful definition of reference values in healthy children. The aim of this study was to determine serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and osteocalcin in a large group of healthy children according to age.


METHODS
We selected 2,288 healthy children (1,079 girls, 1,209 boys), aged 2-16 years. Serum PTH and osteocalcin were assayed with a two-site immunochemiluminometric assay adapted on an automated analyzer, the Liaison.


RESULTS
Significant differences were found between the mean serum values of PTH and osteocalcin in boys and girls in all age groups (p <0.001). Boys' and girls' PTH values ranged from 3.42-22.30 ng/l and 2.31-24.49 ng/l, respectively; serum osteocalcin ranged from 3.85-17.80 nmol/l in boys and 3.74-17.38 nmol/l in girls.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study contribute to the establishment of reference values in healthy children for PTH and osteocalcin assays.
Vietri
Maria Teresa
MT
Department of General Pathology, Second School of Medicine of Naples, Italy.
Sessa
Marcella
M
Pilla
Paola
P
Misso
Margherita
M
Di Troia
Domenico
D
Sorriento
Anthony
A
Parente
Nicandro
N
Molinari
Anna Maria
AM
Cioffi
Michele
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001322:Autoanalysis / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D015675:Osteocalcin