Fetuin-A serum concentrations in healthy children.
BACKGROUND
Serum fetuin-A has been shown to be a strong risk marker for myocardial infarction/stroke in the general population, and has been associated with vascular calcifications in patients with chronic kidney disease. Although these issues are worthy of being addressed in children and adolescents as well, adequate age- and gender-related reference values are missing.


METHODS
Within a healthy paediatric population (n = 246), fetuin-A serum concentrations were determined (ELISA kit; Epitope Diagnostics, San Diego, CA, USA) essentially as described by the manufacturer. At the same time, serum protein and serum albumin were measured with established procedures (Beckman Coulter Inc., Krefeld, Germany). Subjects were stratified according to age (<1 yr [n = 25], > or =1 and <6 yr [n = 65], > or =6 and <12 yr [n = 66], > or =12 yr and <16 [n = 45] and > or =16 yr [n = 45]), and both genders were equally distributed within each age cohort.


RESULTS
Within each age cohort, fetuin-A serum concentrations were normally distributed, independent of age and gender and the respective reference range (mean +/- 1.96 SD) is 0.22-0.70 g/L (0.46 +/- 0.24 g/L).


CONCLUSIONS
Fetuin-A serum concentrations are independent of age and gender in a healthy paediatric population and are well comparable with those determined in adults with the same assay.
Wigger
Marianne
M
Department of Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Rostock, University of Rostock, Germany.
Schaible
Jan
J
Muscheites
Jutta
J
Kundt
Guenther
G
Haffner
Dieter
D
Fischer
Dagmar-Christiane
DC
D000293:Adolescent; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins