RESEARCH ARTICLE Reference Ranges of Cholesterol Sub- Fractions in Random Healthy Adults in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, the values that serve as clinical chemistry reference ranges are those pro-vided by European manufacturers ’ insert sheets based on reference of the Western popula-tion. However, studies conducted so far in some African countries reported significant differences in normal laboratory ranges compared with those of the industrialized world. The aim of this study was to determine reference values of cholesterol fractions in apparent-ly normal adults in Burkina Faso that could be used to better assess the risks related to car-diovascular diseases. Study population was 279 healthy subjects aged from 15 to 50 years including 139 men and 140 women recruited at the Regional Center of Blood Transfusion of Ouagadougou, capital city of Burkina Faso (West Africa). Exclusion criteria based on history and clinical examination were used for defining reference individuals. The dual-step precipi-tation of HDL cholesterol sub-fractions using dextran sulfate was performed according to the procedure described by Hirano. The medians were calculated and reference values were determined at 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. The median and upper ranges for total cho-lesterol, LDL cholesterol, total HDL cholesterol and HDL2 cholesterol were observed to b