[Reference values in the usual laboratory data for sub-Saharan immigrants. Importance in the management of infectious diseases].
OBJECTIVE
The progressive increase in the number of immigrants to Spain in recent years has made it necessary for health-care professionals to be aware about the specific characteristics of this population. An attempt is made in this study to define the normal range of common laboratory values in healthy sub-Saharan adults.


METHODS
Common laboratory values were studied (blood cell counts, clotting tests and blood biochemistry values) and were measured in 150 sub-Saharan immigrants previously defined as healthy according to a complete health evaluation that included a clinical history, physical examination, serologic tests and study of stool parasites. These results were compared to those from a control group consisting of 81 age-and-sex matched healthy blood donors taken from the Spanish native population.


RESULTS
Statistically significant differences were obtained in the following values. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), red cell distribution width (RDW), total leukocytes, and serum levels of creatinine, uric acid, total protein content, creatin-kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT), Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM). If evaluated according to the normal values in native people, a considerable percentage of healthy sub-Saharan immigrants would present <<abnormal>> values (with potential clinical relevance) in the following parameters. MCV, RDW, total leukocyte counts and serum levels of CK, IgG and IgM.


CONCLUSIONS
A proper interpretation of the common laboratory values in sub-Saharan immigrants, and probably in other foreign collectives, requires a previously-established range of normality in these parameters for those populations in order to avoid diagnostic mistakes and inadequate work-up and management.
Sanz-Peláez
O
O
Departamento de Ciencias Médicas y Quirúrgicas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Angel-Moreno
A
A
Tapia-Martín
M
M
Conde-Martel
A
A
Carranza-Rodríguez
C
C
Carballo-Rastrilla
S
S
Soria-López
A
A
Pérez-Arellano
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000208:ethnology; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D013030:Spain