Establishment of Reference Intervals of Blood Parameters Among the Healthy Afghan Population

• Published in: JOURNAL OF BLOOD MEDICINE
• Main Authors: Sherzay, Najia; Azimi, Ziauddin; Kadir, Siti Hamimah Sheikh Abdul; Nor, Noor Shafina Mohd
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD 2024
• Subjects: Hematology
• Online Access: https://www-webofscience-com.uitm.idm.oclc.org/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001162989900001

Purpose: This study was designed and conducted to validate the reference values of hematological parameters for healthy adult male and female residents of Kabul city, Afghanistan. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, the samples were collected according to a non-random sampling method. Blood samples were collected from students and employees of Kabul University. The study included 166 males and 125 females, aged 18-45 years. The selection and exclusion of participants were carried out according to a questionnaire and the assessment of serum ferritin and vitamin B12 levels. Candidates with lower serum ferritin and vitamin B12, a history of chronic disease, females with menstruation or pregnancy, and those with chronic abdominal pain were excluded. Results: Reference ranges for all blood parameters were determined by a non-parametric method. The determined reference values were compared between males and females by the Z-test. Reference intervals for hemoglobin (4.5-6.3 g/dL for males and 3.66-5.67 g/ dL for females) and hematocrit (36.23-55.93% for males and 30.20-53.86% for females) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in males. No significant (p<0.05) differences were observed between the reference intervals for the red blood cell count. Conclusion: Therefore, we conclude that the commonly used reference intervals should be revised for the Afghan population, as our findings indicated higher reference values for the hemoglobin and hematocrit indices.