Establishment of reference values for selected haematological parameters in young adult Nigerians

BACKGROUND: Haematological reference values are necessary for accurate diagnosis of diseases, clinical decision-making, treatment monitoring and clinical research. Due to unavailability of pan-Nigerian reference values, local results interpretation is based on the use of Western values. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish national reference values for some haematological parameters in apparently healthy young adult Nigerians. METHODS: Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Seven (7,797) volunteers aged 18 to 26 years participated in the study. Participants’ interviewer-administered questionnaires and blood samples were collected, analyzed and those with confounding factors (HIV infection, Hepatitis B sero-positivity, Malaria and Pregnancy) were excluded from statistical analysis. The 95-percentile reference range was determined for each haematological parameter using SPSS Version 16(®). The result obtained was reviewed with reference to already established reference values in two West African and Western countries. RESULTS: Blood specimens from 6153 (78.9%) participants [comprising 5915 (96.1%) males and 238 (3.9%) females] were analyzed after exclusion of 1,644 (21.1%) participants with confounding variables. Reference ranges among males and females varied and these were consistent with findings from two other West African countries. The median platelets count in this study was 218 x 10(9)/l while commonly used Western value is 280 x 10(9)/l. Other haematological parameters in the study were similar to Western values. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will improve clinical and research decision-making. Considering that this study is limited to young adult participants, there is a need to conduct future pan-Nigerian studies that will include all age groups.