Faculty Collaboration Database

Influence of temperature during transportation on cell-free DNA analysis. Fetal Diagn Ther 2012;31(2):122-8

Date

01/21/2012

Pubmed ID

22261730

DOI

10.1159/000335020

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84859006623 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   71 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of shipping blood in Streck blood collection tubes (BCT) prior to processing on cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) levels.

METHODS: Blood was collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and BCT tubes from 10 pregnant women carrying male fetuses. One set of each tube for each subject was processed to plasma immediately (standard cf-DNA protocol), whereas the other set was shipped by air courier and then processed. DNA was extracted and total and fetal DNA concentrations were measured by TaqMan multiplexed quantitative real-time PCR.

RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in total cf-DNA in plasma between immediately processed EDTA (control) and immediately processed BCT samples. Moreover, no significant change in total cf-DNA was detected in plasma of BCT samples shipped at room temperature. Significant differences in total cf-DNA leading to a significantly decreased fetal fraction were found in shipped EDTA samples and BCT samples shipped at 4°C.

DISCUSSION: BCT tubes are suitable for shipping whole blood prior to processing with respect to cf-DNA levels. However, care should be taken to ensure that samples are not exposed to extreme temperatures during shipment. This finding will benefit the development and clinical application of noninvasive methods of fetal diagnosis that utilize cf-DNA.

Author List

Hidestrand M, Stokowski R, Song K, Oliphant A, Deavers J, Goetsch M, Simpson P, Kuhlman R, Ames M, Mitchell M, Tomita-Mitchell A

Authors

Aoy Tomita Mitchell PhD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Pippa M. Simpson PhD Adjunct Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Anticoagulants
Blood Specimen Collection
Cell-Free System
DNA
Edetic Acid
Female
Fetal Blood
Genes, sry
Humans
Male
Pregnancy
Prenatal Diagnosis
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Temperature
Transportation