RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Biochemical substances relating to renal and hepatic function are influenced not only by individual factors such as gender, lifestyle, and age but also by ecological factors, such as altitude, climate, and ethnic background. The purpose of the present study was to establish reference intervals for 16 biochemical substances relating to renal and hepatic function in healthy Chinese adults. METHODS: A total of 2,405 apparently healthy individuals (18-77 years of age) were chosen as reference individuals in the present study. The 16 biochemical substances relating to renal and hepatic function were analyzed using a HITACHI RL7600 analyzer. The reference intervals were established using nonparametric methods to estimate the 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles of the distribution as the lower and the upper limits, respectively. RESULTS: Age- and gender-appropriate reference intervals were established for some biochemical substances relating to renal and hepatic function in healthy Chinese adults. CONCLUSION: The reference intervals established in this study can provide a useful clinical tool for the assessment of the kidney and liver damage. In addition, the established reference intervals can be adopted in other clinical laboratories after further validation.