Pediatric reference intervals for lymphocyte vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
OBJECTIVE
To establish pediatric reference intervals for lymphocyte vitamin C.


METHODS
This was a prospective study of 194 well children aged 0-7 years old of mixed ethnicity who had blood drawn for the purpose of this study. Blood was collected during elective surgery under general anesthesia and lymphocytes isolated and stored as frozen ascorbic acid lymphocyte lysates for later HPLC analysis by previously described methodology. Reference intervals were established according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) guidelines (C28-A3). Horn-Pesce robust method was used to estimate the 95% confidence interval and 95% reference interval.


RESULTS
Reference intervals were independent of age or gender and shown to be 12.9-52.8 μg/10(8) cells (lymphocytes).


CONCLUSIONS
We have defined pediatric reference ranges for lymphocyte vitamin C in healthy, fasted children at a relevant age group (0-7 years). The new reference interval can now be used to more reliably explore possible implications of variation of vitamin C levels on bleeding and other clinical signs.
Levin
Alex
A
Pediatric Ophthalmology and Ocular Genetics, Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
DeSouza
Charmaine
C
Zaarour
Christian
C
Walsh
Warren
W
Chan
Man Khun
MK
Verjee
Zulfikarali
Z
McIntyre
Susan
S
Adeli
Khosrow
K
D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000592:standards*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D001205:Ascorbic Acid