title: Serum osteocalcin and parathyroid hormone in healthy children assessed with two new automated assays.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology, Second School of Medicine of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Vietri
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sessa
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pilla
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Misso
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Troia
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorriento
authors.forename: Nicandro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cioffi
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D015675:Osteocalcin