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1 Research and Development Department, Drew Scientific Ltd., Sowerby Woods Business Park, Barrow-in-Furness LA14 4QR, United Kingdom.
2 University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Medical and Research Technology, 100 Penn St., Room 340, Baltimore, MD 21201.
3 Lincoln House, Department of Vascular Surgery, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham B9 5SS, United Kingdom.
aAuthor for correspondence. Fax 44-1229-432096; e-mail dianeh{at}drew-scientific.com.
Background: The accuracy of homocysteine (Hcy) results is currently compromised by the requirement to separate the plasma within 1 h of sample collection. We studied the effect of temperature on the stability of plasma Hcy over a 72-h time course in blood collected into evacuated tubes containing either EDTA alone or both EDTA and 3-deazaadenosine (3DA).
Methods: We recruited 100 volunteers, including both diseased and healthy individuals with a range of baseline plasma Hcy values, from two centers. Blood samples were collected into tubes containing EDTA, and EDTA plus 3DA and stored at ambient temperature (2025 °C) or refrigerated (28 °C). Aliquots of blood were centrifuged at various times up to 72 h, the plasma was removed, and Hcy was measured by HPLC.
Results: Plasma Hcy measurement covering the sample collection and storage conditions during the whole time course was possible on samples from 59 of those recruited. One-way ANOVA for repeated measures within subjects revealed that only samples that were collected into tubes containing EDTA plus 3DA and stored refrigerated were stable over 72 h (P = 0.2761).
Conclusions: A combination of 3DA and storage at 28 °C will allow collection of samples for plasma Hcy measurement outside of the hospital setting and wider population screening.
The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:
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T. Tamura and J. E. Baggott In Vitro Formation of Homocysteine in Whole Blood in the Presence of Anticoagulants Clin. Chem., August 1, 2008; 54(8): 1402 - 1403. [Full Text] [PDF] |
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Q. Han, X. Sun, M. Xu, N. Zhang, L. Tang, Y. Tan, and R. M. Hoffman 3-Deazaadenosine, a Stabilizer of Whole-Blood Homocysteine Content, Does Not Interfere with the Single-Enzyme Homocysteine Assay while Totally Inhibiting the Enzyme Conversion Homocysteine Immunoassay Clin. Chem., September 1, 2004; 50(9): 1703 - 1704. [Full Text] [PDF] |
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M. M. Murphy, J. M. Scott, V. Arija, A. M. Molloy, and J. D. Fernandez-Ballart Maternal Homocysteine before Conception and throughout Pregnancy Predicts Fetal Homocysteine and Birth Weight Clin. Chem., August 1, 2004; 50(8): 1406 - 1412. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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A. Bowron and D. Stansbie Addition of 3-Deazaadenosine to Vacutainer Tubes Stabilizes Whole-Blood Homocysteine for At Least 6 Hours at Ambient Temperature Clin. Chem., May 1, 2003; 49(5): 835 - 835. [Full Text] [PDF] |
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