An exploratory study of some pediatric liver function parameters in a segment of North Indian children

Abstract

profile, physique, dietary intake, lifestyle, and environmental factors; however, appropriate values for most biochemical parameters for children in India remain unknown. This study is an analysis of the total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin- globulin ratio, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in the serum of a segment of apparently healthy Indian children of aged 0-14 years. Methods: Liver function data from tests conducted between January and June of 2019 for 371 children were extracted from the laboratory records of a tertiary care hospital and double-filtered to obtain uncontaminated values. The data were statistically tested for significance by age group and sex. Reference ranges of 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles were determined for age groups of 1-4, 5-9, and 10-14 years. Due to the limitation of the sample size, we did not provide a reference range for children aged less than 1 year. Results: A significant sex difference (p<0.001) was observed only for the ALP level. Age group differences were not significant (all p>0.05); however, reference ranges were provided for age groups within 1-14 years to provide specificity and assist with comparisons. The liver function values in the study group of Indian children differed from what have been reported for Western children. Conclusion: The findings are suggestive and not confirmatory, as our sample was insufficient for a determination of definitive values. Nonetheless, the results provide valuable information and indicate a need to carry out more studies to delineate liver function parameters in Indian children since the values may differ from those of other populations.