Establishment of reference ranges for follitropin and lutropin in neonates, infants, children and adolescents.

Follitropin was determined in the sera of 645 probands, and lutropin in the sera of 649 probands between the ages of 5 days and 18 years (neonates, infants, children and adolescents), using microparticle-enzyme-immunoassays (MEIA) on the IMx from Abbott Laboratories. The proband collective was divided into 9 age groups and each group into males and females. In accordance with the recommendations of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry, the 95% scatter range was taken as the reference range. In some age groups, the ranges for individual hormones showed a significant sex difference. Age groups without significant sex differences were combined and evaluated statistically as a single group. Only a few reference groups showed a normal Gaussian distribution. In addition to the 50th percentile, the 2.5th and 97.5th, or the zero and 95th percentiles were determined for all reference groups. Minimal and maximal values were also determined. The U-test of Mann & Whitney was used to test for significant differences between the individual reference groups. Groups showing no significant differences were combined, and reference ranges were finally calculated for follitropin and lutropin in the serum of healthy neonates, infants, children and adolescents.