ESTIMATION OF REFERENCE INTERVALS FROM A SENIEUR PROTOCOL COMPATIBLE AGED POPULATION FOR IMMUNOGERONTOLOGICAL STUDIES

Because many laboratory values change with age, the study of healthy a ging as well as diagnosis of disease in geriatric patients requires sp ecific age-corrected reference intervals. We have established such ref erence intervals for a healthy population aged 65-74 years by selectio n of a sample group applying the clinical criteria of the SENIEUR prot ocol and we have compared them with those of a young control group (20 -33 years) fulfilling the same criteria. Significant or minor elevatio ns were seen, e.g. for plasma concentrations of fasting glucose, urea, total and LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, gamma-glutamyl-transferase, alkaline phosphatase, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum neopte rin levels. These reference intervals can be used for selecting a SENI EUR compatible population aged between 65 and 74 years. Additionally, plasma lipid parameters (cholesterol, triglycerides) are proposed to b e included in the SENIEUR protocol.