Estimation of Reference Values for Liver Function Tests for Adult Population in North-Rift Valley, Kenya

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine age and sex based reference ranges for eight liver function biochemical parameters for the adult population of North Rift Valley region. This was a population based crosssectional study carried out at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in collaboration with the Regional Blood Transfusion Center, North Rift. A total of 400 volunteer blood donors were screened and 367 (211 males and 156 females) free from human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C virus, and syphilis were used in the analysis. Cobas Integra® 400 plus was used to analyze the eight liver function clinical chemistry parameters. Reference ranges were constructed using nonparametric methods to estimate 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles of distribution as lower and upper reference limits, respectively. Significant age specific differences in the North Rift Valley Kenyan reference ranges were observed for alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase while significant sex related differences were also observed for total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase, total and direct bilirubin. The developed North Rift Valley Kenyan liver function clinical chemistry reference ranges differ from the American values commonly used in Kenyan Hospitals. This study provides adult sex and age specific liver function reference range values to be used in North Rift Valley region. This study recommends adoption of these reference ranges in North Rift valley and determination of similar values for other regions in Kenya.