Distribution Characteristics of Hepatitis B Serological Markers in Hospitalized Children and Adolescents in Zhejiang, China between 2006 and 2010

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate serological patterns of hepatitis B based on electrochemiluminescent immunoassays and the distribution characteristics of these patterns in hospitalized children and adolescents in Zhejiang, China between 2006 and 2010. METHODS: Five serological markers, including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe), and antibody to hepatitis B c antigen (anti-HBc), were chosen as a routine panel to monitor hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and vaccination efficacy. A total of 33,187 children (21,187 boys and 12,000 girls) were selected using the following exclusion criteria: a previous diagnosis of hepatitis, age >16 years or an address outside of Zhejiang. RESULTS: The average HBV vaccination coverage rates among 20,766 boys and 11,782 girls were 98.62% and 98.68%, respectively. Seventeen serological patterns of hepatitis B were found, and the dominant pattern was 'anti-HBs (+) alone' (62.03%) followed by 'negative pattern' (23.46%). The rates of the other 15 patterns ranged from 8.14% to 0.003%. Of 236 HBsAg-positive patients, the overall rate of seropositivity was 0.71%. The anti-HBs levels were grouped into 3 ranges (10-100 mIU/mL, 100-1,000 mIU/mL, and >1,000 mIU/mL) for all anti-HBs-positive children (36.08%, 43.43%, and 20.49%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: A low HBsAg carrier rate and a relatively high anti-HBs positive rate are present in hospitalized children and adolescents in Zhejiang. The distribution of serological patterns is associated with age but is mostly independent of gender.

Establishment of age/gender-related serum cycstatin C reference intervals in children by transmission turbidimetry / 中华检验医学杂志

ObjectiveTo establish pediatric serum CysC reference intervals based on the children's hospital laboratory data in Zhejiang Province and analyse the effects of CysClevels on age and gender. MethodsCysC was one of tests of a routine biochemical screening panel employed for most outpatients and inpatients in the children's hospital, and 8 127 subjects (4 264 boys and 3 863 girls) were selected from 13 567 subjects from laboratory information system according to the exclusion criterion with seriously systemic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, elevated values of creatinine, urea or ALT for which 1.5-fold upper limit, serum samples with hemolysis, icterus or lipid turbidity, same patients with non-first-time CysC results and living addresses which were not in Zhejiang. The serum CysC was determined by transmission turbidimetry on Roche DPP modular automatic biochemical analyzer. SPSS 17.0 software and EXCEL 2003 were employed for statistical analysis in this study. Results The serum CysC concentration was a Gaussian distribution after log transformation. The mean Log-transformated CysC lg (CysC) concentration of boys in five age groups ( ＜ 1 month, 1 to 3 months, 4 to 11 months, 1 to 2 years and 2 to 16 years) were 0. 224,0. 170,0. 112,0. 061, -0. 011 (mg/L,lg) respectively, and the mean Log-transformated CysC lg(CysC) concentration of girls in five age groups were 0. 222, 0. 164, 0. 089, 0. 057,-0. 010 ( mmg/L, lg) respectively, and no statistically significant differences between Ig( CysC ) and gender in five age groups were found ( t values were 0. 174, 0. 362, 0. 445,- 1. 464 and - 0. 093, respectively,and corresponding P values all were greater than 0. 05 ). The mean lg ( CysC ) concentrations in five age groups were 0. 222,0. 166,0. 100,0. 059, - 0. 010 ( mmg/L, lg), and significant differences between Lg ( CysC ) and ages by Analysis of Variance were observed ( F = 309. 785 and P = 0 in between-groups totally,P = 0 in any two groups). Serum CysC levels were highest in the age of ＜ 1 month, then declined to the age of 2 years and kept stable in the age of 2 to 16 years. The serum CysC reference intervals for children were as follows:0. 95 -2. 92 mg/L in the age of ＜ 1 month, 0. 81 -2.67 mg/L in the age of 1 to 3 months, 0. 65 -2.45 mg/L in the age of 4 tol2 months, 0. 56 -2. 35 mg/L in the age of 1 year and 0. 45 -2. 13 mg/L in the age of 2 to 16 years. ConclusionsThere is no significant effect on pediatric CysC levels with gender but close correlated with age below 2 years old. It is necessary to establish appropriate age-related reference intervals of serum CysC for efficiently evaluating renal function in local children.