The holding temperature of blood during a delay to processing can affect serum and plasma protein measurements

Ashworth, Milton, Small, Benjamin, Oldfield, Lucy ORCID: 0000-0002-0839-402X, Evans, Anthony ORCID: 0000-0001-8547-1730, Greenhalf, William, Halloran, Christopher ORCID: 0000-0002-5471-4178 and Costello, Eithne (2021) The holding temperature of blood during a delay to processing can affect serum and plasma protein measurements. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 11 (1). 6487-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85052-5

Abstract

Accurate blood-borne biomarkers are sought for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment stratification. Consistent handling of blood is essential for meaningful data interpretation, however, delays during processing are occasionally unavoidable. We investigated the effects of immediately placing blood samples on ice versus room temperature for 1 h (reference protocol), and holding samples on ice versus room temperature during a 3 h delay to processing. Using Luminex multi-plex assays to assess cytokines (n = 29) and diabetes-associated proteins (n = 15) in healthy subjects, we observed that placing blood samples immediately on ice decreased the serum levels of several cytokines, including PAI-1, MIP1-β, IL-9, RANTES and IL-8. During a delay to processing, some analytes, e.g. leptin and insulin, showed little change in serum or plasma values. However, for approximately half of the analytes studied, a delay, regardless of the holding temperature, altered the measured levels compared to the reference protocol. Effects differed between serum and plasma and for some analytes the direction of change in level varied across individuals. The optimal holding temperature for samples during a delay was analyte-specific. In conclusion, deviations from protocol can lead to significant changes in blood analyte levels. Where possible, protocols for blood handling should be pre-determined in an analyte-specific manner.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humans, Insulin, Leptin, Blood Proteins, Cytokines, Cryopreservation, Blood Preservation, Ice, Protein Stability, Biomarkers
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	25 Mar 2021 09:46
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2023 22:54
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-021-85052-5
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85052-5
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3118141