Reference Intervals of Hematological Parameters Among Healthy Adults in Northern Sudan: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Recent studies from various countries, including those in Africa, have highlighted the importance of region-specific data in assessing hematological health. However, no study has established hematological reference intervals (RIs) in Northern Sudan. We aimed to investigate the normal hematological values among apparently healthy adults in Northern Sudan.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Northern Sudan. Standardized procedures measured participants' weight, height, and hematological parameters. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the parameters between males and females. Mean, median, and RIs (2.5th-97.5th percentiles) were computed for the adults.

Results: Two hundred fifty-three adults were enrolled (141 [55.7%] males and 112 [44.3%] females). The median (interquartile [IQR]) of the enrolled adults' age was 40.0 (29.7-50.0) years. The RIs for both genders, hemoglobin 9.71-16.10 g/dL, red blood cells (RBC) 3.66-5.79 × 10⁶/mm³, hematocrit (HCT) 28.02%-46.75%, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 64.02-95.65 fL, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) 21.57-33.80 pg, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 31.60-36.56 g/dL, platelet count 155.35-454.30 × 10³/mm³, and total white blood cells (WBCs) 2.90-10.76 × 10³/mm³. Significantly higher median values were observed in males compared to females for hemoglobin, RBC, HCT, MCH, MCHC, and platelet distribution width. In contrast, females demonstrated significantly higher red cell distribution width-coefficient of variation, WBC, platelet, mean platelet volume, and plateletcrit than males. MCV showed no significant difference between genders.

Conclusion: The study's findings underscore the importance of establishing RIs for each region and specific gender population. RIs should also be established in other regions of Sudan to enhance clinical relevance and accuracy.