Effective Wednesday, February 1, 2012, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) core laboratory will change the reference ranges for plasma "NT-PROBNP (N-Terminal Pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide)"  (EPIC #LAB649).  These changes add pediatric reference ranges and also more detailed age-related reference ranges throughout adult years.

Age	Reference range (pg/mL)
Pediatric (boys and girls)
0-30 days	263 – 6500
1 month -11 months	37 – 1000
12 months – 35 months	39 – 675
3 years to 6 years	23 – 327
7 years to 14 years	10 – 242
15 years to 18 years	6 – 207
Adult Males
19-44 years	0 – 93
45-54 years	0 – 138
55-64 years	0 – 177
65-74 years	0 – 229
75 years or older	0 – 852
Adult Females
19-44 years	0 – 178
45-54 years	0 – 192
55-64 years	0 – 226
65-74 years	0 – 353
75 years or older	0 – 624

The adult ranges are from the most recent package insert for the Roche Diagnostics proBNP II immunoassay, with the upper limits of the range reflecting 95th percentiles for NT-PRO-BNP levels in patients without congestive heart failure.

The pediatric reference ranges are from a published study of NT-PRO-BNP in infants and children (Nir A et al.  Pediatr Cardiol 30:3-8, 2009).  Keep in mind that the interpretation of NT-PRO-BNP in infants is challenging due to very high values in neonates that decline rapidly within the first month of life.  There is also very little data on NT-PRO-BNP plasma concentrations in premature infants.

Questions should be directed to Matthew Krasowski, MD, PhD, medical director of the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory (384-9380, matthew-krasowski@uiowa.edu).