Determination of Reference Intervals of Biochemistry Parameters in Healthy Individuals in Gaziantep Province

Objective: Reference values have gained universal acceptance as the most powerful material that helps the decision-making-implementation process of the clinical laboratory. These values may be affected by the geographical location, dietary habits and other lifestyle changes of individuals applying to the clinical laboratory. The aim of our study to determine the reference ranges for the biochemistry test panel, thyroid function tests, and insulin hormone levels, which are frequently needed by clinicians for the province of Gaziantep, with samples obtained from healthy individuals. Methods: In the study phase, the selection of reference individuals was carried out using the direct method a priori. For the study group, healthy individuals (224 men, 243 women) between the ages of 18-45 were selected. Reference intervals (95% limit) were calculated according to the non-parametric method. Results: When the reference intervals obtained in our study were compared with the reference intervals of the manufacturer, there were differences (> 10% lower or higher) in the upper and lower limits in urea (female and male), creatinine (male), HDL (female), AST (female and male), ALT (female), GGT (female), ALP (common), Lipase (common), CK (male), iron (male), TSH (female and male) markers. Male and female reference intervals for HDL, AST, ALT, and TSH were significantly different. Manufacturer reference ranges for these parameters were common to both sexes. Conclusion: As a result, differences were determined between most of the the reference intervals obtained in our study and the reference intervals we routinely use. We think that the difference in the reference intervals is due to the differences in dietary habits and environmental factors.