Table 3.

Effect of short-term storage temperature on CRP in DBS. Model estimated means and SEs, mg/L CRP

Baseline	Treatment	Time 1	Time 2	Time 3	Time 4	p*
		7 days	14 days	28 days	42 days
	−20°C	1.47 ± 0.74	1.52 ± 0.78	1.62 ± 0.78	1.47 ± 0.68	.6
1.81 ± 0.93	21°C	1.27 ± 0.58 †(p=.0906)	1.25 ± 0.54 †(p=.0247)	0.99 ± 0.42 †(p=.0078)	0.87 ± 0.33	.0038
	37°C	0.71 ± 0.27 †(p=.0020)	0.46 ± 0.15	0.50 ± 0.21	0.39 ± 0.14	<.0001
		1 cycle	2 cycles	4 cycles	8 cycles
2.05 ± 1.03	−20°C ↔ 21°C	1.64 ± 0.75	1.65 ± 0.74	1.67 ± 0.81	1.50 ± 0.71 †(p=.0060)	.013
	37°C ↔ 17°C	1.29 ± 0.63 †(p=.0029)	1.19 ± 0.48	1.23 ± 0.52	0.98 ± 0.44	.0023

Linear mixed effects models of log(mg/L CRP) on time for each treatment separately, and time modeled as linear. Random effects were estimated to account for across subject variability in the baseline CRP and for the slope of CRP change per time point. n = 8 specimens for −20°C, 21°C and 37°C; n = 7 specimens for −20°C / 21°C and 37°C / 15°C. Means are estimated from models using unlogged CRP.

^*p values for linear change in log(mg/L CRP) across time or cycle.

^†For treatments with a significant change from baseline to time 4, p-values are given to indicate the first time point with results significantly different from baseline in linear mixed effects models with time or cycle as categorical.