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Establishment of Adult Reference Values For Some Biochemical Analytes in A Rwandan Population


R Rutayisire
SK Waithaka
J Wane
M Kahato
S Uwamungu
S Katare
V Mukabadilo
B Ndayambaje

Abstract

Objectives: To establish the reference values for some routinely performed biochemical analytes in CHUK.
Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.
Settings: National Center for Blood Transfusion, Rwanda and Kigali University Teaching Hospital,  Laboratory Department. This study was conducted during the period between 15th September 2014 and 23rd February in 2015.
Subjects: Blood donors donating blood at National Center for Blood Donation, and recruited by mobile teams across the country.
Results: Median (Reference values:2.5th and 97.5th percentiles) for male and female respectively: Bilirubin Direct,3.9(2-6.9) and 3.9(2.6-6.5) μmol/L; Bilirubin Total,10.3(4.8-21.6) and 10.4(5.9-17.3) μmol/L; Aspartate Aminotransferase, 27.8(16.1-49.2) and 26.7(16.8-45.1) U/L;Urea,3.2(1.3-5.8) and 3.1(1.4-5.2)mmol/L; Glucose, 5.0(3.2-7.7) and 4.6(3.1-6.7) mmol/L; Total Proteins, 76.8(68.2-87.7) and 76.9(66.6-85.7)g/L; Albumin, 46.4(39.7-55.5) and 46.7(40-54.5) g/L; Alanine Aminotransferase,  17.1(7.2-36.2) and 16.0(7.3-33.9) U/L; Gamma Glutamyltransferase, 20.3(8-75.6) and 21.1(7.1-63.3) U/L; Alkaline Phosphatase, 74.3(43.8-145.7) and 73.5(50.3-135.4) U/L; Creatinine, 84.4(65.2- 107.1) and 81.1(62.5-98.6) μmol/L; Sodium, 139.0(134.5-145.5) and 141.0(134.5-146.5) mmol/L; Potassium, .4.4(3.7-5) and 4.3(3.5-5.0) mmol/L; Chloride, 95.7(89.9-104.2) and 99.3(90.6-103.1) mmol/L;  Magnesium, 0.9(0.7-1.0) and 0.9(0.7-1) mmol/L; Phosphate, 1.1(0.8-1.5) and 1.2(0.7-1.6) mmol/L.
Conclusion: The results of our study on Clinical Chemistry parameters are similar to those published in other African countries, with variations due to the diet and geographical location. This study has shown that a strict adherence to reference ranges developed from industrialised countries could qualify many healthy Rwandans as pathological cases, and also exclude them from participating in clinical trials. Compared to other reference ranges established, reference values in our study presented remarkably low levels of urea which may be due to the diet low in proteins generally in Rwandan population.

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