Ida Erngren, Morgan Lundgren, Aina Vaivade, Henrik Carlsson, Asma Al-Grety, Anna Karin Hedström, Ingrid Kockum, Lars Alfredsson, Anders Larsson, Joachim Burman, Torbjörn Åkerfeldt, Peter Ridefelt, Kim Kultima
{"title":"Exploring serum bile acid variability: population-based concentration ranges and impact of lifestyle factors in an adult population.","authors":"Ida Erngren, Morgan Lundgren, Aina Vaivade, Henrik Carlsson, Asma Al-Grety, Anna Karin Hedström, Ingrid Kockum, Lars Alfredsson, Anders Larsson, Joachim Burman, Torbjörn Åkerfeldt, Peter Ridefelt, Kim Kultima","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-0809","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2026-0809","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Bile acids (BAs) play crucial roles in digestion and metabolic regulation, and their composition is increasingly recognised as relevant to health and disease. This study aimed to establish population-based concentration ranges (2.5th-97.5th percentiles) for 24 individual serum BAs and assess the influence of demographic and lifestyle factors in a large cohort of Swedish adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Serum samples from 931 Swedish adults were analysed using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Population-based concentration ranges were calculated for individual BAs, and associations with sex, age, BMI, sampling time, smoking, Swedish snuff use, serum cotinine, alcohol consumption, and ancestry were evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found extensive interindividual variability in BA concentrations. The most abundant BAs were glycine-conjugated forms, while primary unconjugated BAs exhibited the largest concentration ranges, differing by over 1,000-fold between individuals. Sex-specific patterns emerged, with men showing significantly higher levels of unconjugated BAs. Age and BMI were negatively associated with taurine-conjugated BAs, and weak time-of-day variations were observed for several conjugated BAs. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, assessed through self-report and serum cotinine, showed stronger associations with BA levels than alcohol or ancestry, notably with increased murideoxycholic acid (MDCA) and reduced conjugated BA levels among nicotine users.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings provide robust serum concentration ranges and highlight key variables that may confound BA biomarker interpretations, emphasising the need to consider sex, age, BMI, and lifestyle in future clinical and epidemiological applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149135167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marcela P Nascimento, Matthew Nguyen, Aloha Villadiego, Rhonalyn Hernandez, Catherine Woods, Marie Salib
{"title":"Macrotroponin I interference with point-of-care high sensitivity assays: findings from a preliminary analytical verification study of three methods.","authors":"Marcela P Nascimento, Matthew Nguyen, Aloha Villadiego, Rhonalyn Hernandez, Catherine Woods, Marie Salib","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-0563","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2026-0563","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149135341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"When patient change and interpretive applicability diverge: a two-axis framework for laboratory medicine.","authors":"Ziad Dabour, Kamel Dabour","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-1353","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2026-1353","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Personalised laboratory medicine has advanced through reference change values, personalised reference intervals and decision limits, multivariate reference models, and indication-aware interpretation. Yet these developments do not resolve a distinct problem: evidence of within-person change and evidence supporting the applicability of an interpretive system answer different clinical questions and may diverge. We propose a two-axis reporting framework that keeps these evidentiary objects separate. After confirming adequate measurement integrity and comparability, Axis D (deviation) represents evidence of meaningful deviation from the patient's own expected state, while Axis A (applicability) represents the evidentiary warrant for applying a reference system, decision limit, prediction rule, equation, or algorithm to that patient and setting. The distinctive proposition is the coupling rule: applicability determines whether an interpreter can support diagnostic closure of the question a change signal opens, so that in the High D/Low A state - change-applicability discordance - a meaningful patient-specific change should not be neutralised by reassurance from an interpreter whose applicability is weakly supported; instead, independent or better-applicable evidence should be considered in proportion to clinical risk. The motivation parallels precision dosing, where appropriateness depends on patient characteristics. This is not a new diagnostic score; it is a reporting and decision scaffold whose value should be tested and rejected if it fails to improve decision quality or net clinical benefit. Existing frameworks help clinicians choose, personalise, validate, and contextualise the interpreter; the two-axis framework addresses what to do when evidence about the patient and evidence about the interpreter disagree.</p>","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149135252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vera H de Kleijne, Barbara A Hutten, Anita Boelen, Annet M Bosch, Willemijn E Corpeleijn, Wendy P J den Elzen, René Spijker, Annemieke C Heijboer, Monique Albersen
{"title":"Towards a suitable biomarker for childhood screening for familial hypercholesterolemia: a systematic literature review.","authors":"Vera H de Kleijne, Barbara A Hutten, Anita Boelen, Annet M Bosch, Willemijn E Corpeleijn, Wendy P J den Elzen, René Spijker, Annemieke C Heijboer, Monique Albersen","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-0689","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2026-0689","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common genetic disorder causing elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) concentrations from birth, resulting in a high risk of premature cardiovascular disease. Despite effective early treatment, FH remains underdiagnosed in children, highlighting the need for universal screening. This systematic review aims to evaluate the available evidence regarding suitable biomarkers for the purpose of universal screening for FH in childhood. The electronic databases Medline and Embase were systematically searched for studies comparing blood biomarkers in children with heterozygous FH and non-FH children. Of the 2,488 studies found, 35 were included. Although the data were constrained by considerable heterogeneity, LDL-c, total cholesterol (TC), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) concentrations were consistently higher in children with FH across the included studies. Furthermore, increased non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-c), lathosterol, sitosterol and TC/HDL-c ratio, and a decreased squalene/TC ratio were found in children with FH. Only three screening studies combined biomarker (LDL-c, non-HDL-c and TC) and genetic testing simultaneously, revealing however limited sensitivity and specificity of these markers for FH screening in children. In this review, several biomarkers for FH screening in children were evaluated. As sensitivity and specificity data were generally not available or suboptimal, additional studies are needed to evaluate the screening performance of selected biomarkers in well-defined pediatric populations of suitable age and sex distribution, using valid analytical methods, and taking into account possible confounding factors. It is only through such studies that a well-considered selection of biomarkers can be made for the purpose of childhood screening for FH.</p>","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Analytical performance and clinical classification value of a novel sandwich immunoassay for total testosterone measurement in low-concentration and hemodialysis populations.","authors":"He Shi, Huimei Wei, Shuaiwei Han, Minjie Liu, Bingjie Shui, Jijuan Gao, Yu Luo, Huaying Zhang, Huiai Lu, Pengcheng Tong, Huan He, Jianguo Wu","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-0886","DOIUrl":"10.1515/cclm-2026-0886","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To evaluate the analytical performance and clinical classification value of a novel sandwich testosterone immunoassay, particularly for biochemical testosterone elevation in women and deficiency in male hemodialysis patients, using LC-MS/MS as the reference method.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 387 residual clinical serum samples were compared using Mindray TESTO, Siemens TSTII, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Among these, 226 had testosterone concentrations <1.0 ng/mL, and 133 reproductive-age women were evaluated for biochemical hyperandrogenism classification. An additional 119 hemodialysis samples (94 men, 25 women) were assessed, with the 94 men evaluated for biochemical testosterone deficiency classification. Analyses included Passing-Bablok regression, Bland-Altman analysis, and independent imprecision, linearity, and interference studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The Mindray TESTO assay showed total CVs of 1.68-2.71 % and good linearity (r=0.9997). Cross-reactivity was generally low, although phenylbutazone produced biases exceeding ±10 %. Both immunoassays correlated strongly with LC-MS/MS, with Mindray TESTO showing higher correlation and narrower limits of agreement in low-concentration samples (r=0.9603 vs. 0.8920). In women of reproductive age, Mindray TESTO demonstrated higher sensitivity (88.89 vs. 11.11 %) and κ agreement (0.784 vs. 0.189) for biochemical hyperandrogenism classification. In male hemodialysis patients, it achieved higher accuracy (94.68 vs. 88.30 %) and κ agreement (0.838 vs. 0.680) for biochemical testosterone deficiency classification. The ROC AUCs did not differ significantly (0.966 vs. 0.956; p=0.2776).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The novel sandwich immunoassay showed improved agreement with LC-MS/MS at low testosterone concentrations and favorable performance in classifying biochemical testosterone elevation and deficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149135223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ulf Andreasson, Vincent Delatour, Aleksandra Maceski, Johan Gobom, Burak Arslan, Elena Camporesi, Chiara Giangrande, Guy Auclair, Sofia Sandgren, Yoav Noam, David Wilson, Matt Polak, Niklas Norgren, Guy Mersch, Martine Dauwe, Sabine Sellner, Anna Liess, George B Sigal, Catherine Demos, Kaj Blennow, Henrik Zetterberg, Jens Kuhle
{"title":"The second assessment of the commutability of candidate reference materials for the harmonization of blood neurofilament light chain measurements.","authors":"Ulf Andreasson, Vincent Delatour, Aleksandra Maceski, Johan Gobom, Burak Arslan, Elena Camporesi, Chiara Giangrande, Guy Auclair, Sofia Sandgren, Yoav Noam, David Wilson, Matt Polak, Niklas Norgren, Guy Mersch, Martine Dauwe, Sabine Sellner, Anna Liess, George B Sigal, Catherine Demos, Kaj Blennow, Henrik Zetterberg, Jens Kuhle","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-1384","DOIUrl":"10.1515/cclm-2026-1384","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Blood neurofilament light (NfL) is a sensitive biomarker of neuroaxonal injury, but substantial differences in absolute concentrations across analytical platforms underscore the need for assay standardization. This study aimed to evaluate the commutability of candidate reference materials (RMs) generated by spiking serum pools with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to support global assay harmonization.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study included 45 individual clinical serum samples and 30 candidate RMs. The RMs comprised three serum pools, each combined with each of three CSF pools at three concentration levels, in addition to the three unspiked serum pools. Commercial NfL measurement procedures (MPs) from six manufacturers (Roche, Fujirebio, Meso Scale Discovery, Bio-Techne, UmanDiagnostics, and Quanterix) were evaluated. Commutability was assessed using a difference in bias approach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Spearman correlations between MPs were excellent (ρ=0.96-0.99), although regression slopes differed substantially, with differences up to a 46-fold. Across the 450 RM assessments, 62 % were classified as commutable, 37 % as indeterminate, and 0.66 % as non-commutable. Approximately two-thirds of the uncertainty in the difference in bias was attributable to MP imprecision rather than sample specific effects, suggesting that standardization of NfL measurements is feasible.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Spiking serum pools with CSF appears to be an effective strategy for consistently producing commutable RMs for NfL measurement. Although the relatively high proportion of indeterminate results indicates a need for improved MP precision or additional replicate measurements, the study supports continued development of SI-traceable reference materials to facilitate standardization of NfL measurements in clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149135328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luciano H Di Stefano, Charissa Wijmands, Joannes F M Jacobs, Vincent Bonifay, Caroline Rougé Dubroc
{"title":"Urine-derived light chain sequencing enables serum-based MRD monitoring in multiple myeloma.","authors":"Luciano H Di Stefano, Charissa Wijmands, Joannes F M Jacobs, Vincent Bonifay, Caroline Rougé Dubroc","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-1061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2026-1061","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chaochao Zhang, Yingxin Dai, Dan Cao, Rong Chen, Zhiyuan Gao, Yifan Gong, Anni Guo, Xiaowei Huang, Aiping Liu, Tiantian Liu, Ce Shi, Yi Sun, Wenjuan Wang, Hongkun Wu, Jing Yang, Yiwen Yao, Lei Yu, Ying Zhang, Haiyin Zheng, Kaimin Mao, Min Li, Bing Zheng
{"title":"An LR-based risk stratification framework for assessing interlaboratory variability in HEp-2 IFA pattern interpretation.","authors":"Chaochao Zhang, Yingxin Dai, Dan Cao, Rong Chen, Zhiyuan Gao, Yifan Gong, Anni Guo, Xiaowei Huang, Aiping Liu, Tiantian Liu, Ce Shi, Yi Sun, Wenjuan Wang, Hongkun Wu, Jing Yang, Yiwen Yao, Lei Yu, Ying Zhang, Haiyin Zheng, Kaimin Mao, Min Li, Bing Zheng","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-1012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2026-1012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Interlaboratory variability in HEp-2 indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) interpretation remains a major challenge. Conventional agreement metrics quantify disagreement but do not distinguish discrepancies by diagnostic relevance. We aimed to develop a likelihood ratio (LR)-based framework for clinically informed assessment of interpretation variability.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Pattern-specific positive LRs were derived from 33,690 routine HEp-2 IFA records and used to classify patterns into four risk tiers. A pattern discrepancy score (PDS) was developed to quantify discrepancies according to risk-tier displacement. Interlaboratory variability was assessed using a standardized 200-specimen panel tested by 18 laboratories, and diagnostic performance was explored in six laboratories.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pattern disagreement rates ranged from 17.5 to 50.0 %. PDS strongly correlated with disagreement rate (Spearman's ρ=0.936, p<0.001), but laboratories with similar disagreement rates differed in cross-tier discrepancy distribution. Most discrepancies remained within the same risk tier; among discordant interpretations involving high-risk reference patterns, 20.4 % crossed into another tier. Pattern concordance varied markedly, while titer agreement was moderate to almost perfect (weighted κ, 0.569-0.821). Across six laboratories, diagnostic performance varied (Youden Index, 0.391-0.617), but was not significantly associated with interpretation consistency.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>HEp-2 IFA interpretation variability differs in both frequency and potential diagnostic relevance. The LR-based framework and PDS complement conventional agreement measures by identifying discrepancies that alter diagnostic risk classification, potentially supporting risk-oriented proficiency assessment and targeted quality improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149079959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Semen analysis external quality assessment: a paradigm shift from statistical consensus to biological variation-based analytical quality specifications.","authors":"Xiyan Wu, Weina Li","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-0896","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2026-0896","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Semen analysis is the primary diagnostic tool for male fertility evaluation, yet its subjective nature introduces substantial interlaboratory variation that compromises result reliability; despite over three decades of external quality assessment (EQA) practice, coefficients of variation (CV) for core semen parameters remain unacceptably high worldwide. Synthesising evidence from 34 years of global EQA programmes, this review documents interlaboratory CVs of 12.7-138.0 %, 17.0-127.0 %, and 7-375 % for concentration, motility, and morphology, and identifies three structural dilemmas: (1) peer self-referencing bias in assigned value determination, (2) disconnection of allowable total error (TEa) from clinical need, (3) a cognitive threshold effect in morphological interpretation. The principal international schemes - CAP (USA), UK NEQAS, NCCL (China), and QUIP (Germany) - diverge markedly in specimen type, assigned value strategy, and acceptance criteria. We critically evaluate the transition from state-of-the-art to biological variation (BV)-based analytical quality specifications (APS), examine performance differentials between assisted reproductive technology (ART) centres and general clinical laboratories, and assess emerging technologies including AI-assisted morphology assessment and digital EQA platforms. The field is undergoing a paradigm shift from statistical peer consensus toward clinically driven BV-based APS, derived from intra-individual (CV1) and inter-individual (CVG) variation of semen parameters; However, AI systems exhibit systematic analytical bias compared with manual microscopy, which stems from training-set composition, annotator subjectivity, and visual fatigue caused by high-throughput workloads. Independent calibration and version-control validation should be completed prior to clinical application. Priority efforts encompass EQA framework harmonisation aligned with WHO Sixth Edition (2021) and ISO 23162:2021, measurement uncertainty incorporation into TEa derivation, prospective AI algorithm validation, split-sample parallel testing, and disaggregation of morphological APS by defect category (head, midpiece, and tail).</p>","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149079993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dien Minh Tran, Anh Quynh Mai, Phuc Huu Phan, Tung Viet Cao, Mai Thi Chi Tran, Ronda F Greaves, Tze Ping Loh, Duyen Thi Nguyen
{"title":"Population-specific pediatric reference intervals for complete blood count in Vietnamese children and their impact on clinical classification.","authors":"Dien Minh Tran, Anh Quynh Mai, Phuc Huu Phan, Tung Viet Cao, Mai Thi Chi Tran, Ronda F Greaves, Tze Ping Loh, Duyen Thi Nguyen","doi":"10.1515/cclm-2026-0766","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2026-0766","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To establish age- and sex-specific reference intervals (RI) for complete blood count (CBC) parameters in healthy Vietnamese children aged 0 to <19 years and assess the impact of applying locally derived vs. non-local pediatric RI on abnormal flagging and clinical classification.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A community-based cross-sectional study included 3,885 healthy Vietnamese children aged 0 to <19 years recruited through school-based health screening programs between April 2024 and November 2025. Peripheral venous blood samples were analyzed using the Sysmex XN-9000 hematology analyzer under standardized pre-analytical and analytical conditions with internal and external quality control. Outliers were excluded using the Tukey interquartile range method. Age and sex partitions were established through an integrated assessment of visual inspection, the Mann-Whitney U test, Cliff's delta, the Harris-Boyd method, and biological and clinical considerations. Reference intervals were established according to CLSI EP28-A3c using a nonparametric approach (2.5-97.5th percentiles), with 90 % confidence intervals estimated by bootstrap.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All CBC parameters showed age-related variation, supporting age-specific RI. Sex differences were limited to erythrocyte parameters, including red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit, emerging after puberty; sex partitioning was unnecessary for most analytes. Application of the Vietnamese vs. CALIPER reference intervals in an outpatient cohort resulted in bidirectional reclassification, with 0.0-32.6 % of CALIPER-abnormal results reclassified as normal and 0.0-24.4 % of CALIPER-normal results reclassified as abnormal, depending on the analyte.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study establishes population-based pediatric CBC RI for Vietnamese children. Non-local pediatric RI may alter abnormal flagging and result interpretation in routine practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":10390,"journal":{"name":"Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149080010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}