Abstract
To provide reference data for normal children, serum immunoreactive erythropoietin (siEp) was estimated by radioimmunoassay in samples from 130 healthy children, 57 girls and 73 boys, with ages between 1 month and 16 years. The children were referred either for minor complaints or for elective surgery. In 128 of the children the (geometric) mean estimate of siEp was 15.8 mIU/ml with 95% range (the range within which 95% of the observations are predicted to fall) 9.1-27.6 mIU/ml. The remaining two children, both girls aged 9.5 and 9.8 years, had estimates of siEp >256mIU/ml. In both Hb and PCV wore normal and we have no explanation for these atypical findings. Children in the youngest age group, 0.9 to 2.0 months (n=4), had the lowest estimates of siEp, mean 8.0 with range 4-13 mIU/ml. This was lower than the estimates in children aged 2.8 to 3.5 months (n=6), in whom mean siEp was 17.6 with range 12-38 mIU/ml (Wilcoxon rank sum test, p=0.019). Otherwise there was no relation between siEp and the variables Hb, PCV, age and sex. Estimates of siEp in the 128 children were not significantly different from those in 22 normal adults investigated simultaneously (mean 16.2 mIU/ml, 95% range 11.2-23.3 mIU/ml).
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Hellebostad, M., Hågå, P. & Cotes, P. 81 SERUM IMMUNOREACTIVE ERYTHROPOIETIN IN NORMAL CHILDREN. Pediatr Res 24, 274 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00107
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198808000-00107