To establish the sex-, age-and season-specific (month) reference intervals (RI) for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measurement by big data and indirect method in adults.

TSH data of anonymous patients were collected from Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University in 2016, the data were selected and outliers were removed. Indirect methods (Hoffmann method and Bhattacharya method) were used to calculate TSH reference intervals of whole population, different genders, ages and seasons (months). TSH RI from two indirect methods of total population, selected population, physical examination population was compared with RI from reagent instruction according to reference change value (RCV) based on biological variability.

A total of 61 599 records were obtained from 90 699 records including 18 776 males and 42 823 females. The TSH RI were obtained by Hoffmann method: the whole population, 0.59-5.59 μIU/ml (1 μIU/ml=1 mIU/L), male, 0.53-5.16 μIU/ml, female, 0.59-6.11 μIU/ml. The upper limits of TSH RI were higher with age and in winter (January): 18-30 years old, 0.62-5.57 μIU/ml, 71-80 years old, 0.49-6.45 μIU/ml; January, 0.59-6.40 μIU/ml, August, 0.60-5.56 μIU/ml; The RI of TSH by Bhattacharya method: the whole population, 0.58-5.80 μIU/ml, male, 0.55-5.02 μIU/ml, female, 0.62-6.21 μIU/ml. The upper limits of TSH RI were also higher with age and in winter (January): 18-30 years old, 0.65-5.67 μIU/ml, 71-80 years old, 0.46-5.99 μIU/ml, January: 0.61-6.52 μIU/ml, August: 0.61-5.69 μIU/ml. Compared to RI from reagent instruction, the differences of TSH RI from two indirect methods of total population, selected population, physical examination population were acceptable.

TSH RI was established by indirect method. With the increase of age and winter, the upper limit of TSH reference interval tends to increase.

Thyroid stimulating hormone; Reference interval; Indirect method; Big data