Table 1.
Compilation of Studies Describing the Stabilities of Clinical Analytes in Blood Specimens Under the Initial Handling/Storage Conditions Documented in This Study
| Initial handling/storage conditions | Biospecimen | Stable analytes | Unstable analytes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4°C for <3 hours (then −80°C) | Serum | Folic acid | 59 | |
| Plasma | Ascorbic acid | 60 | ||
| Serum | Free PSA | 61 | ||
| Serum | ACTH | 34 | ||
| Whole blood | Potassium, glucose | 62 | ||
| 4°C for 3–16 hours (then −80°C) | Serum | 13 fatty acids | 59 | |
| Plasma | Cell-free DNA | 63 | ||
| Serum | Free PSA | 64 | ||
| Serum | Transferrin receptor | 32 | ||
| Plasma/Serum | Ascorbic acid | 36 | ||
| Whole blood | Inorganic phosphorous, bicarbonate, lactate dehydrogenase, magnesium, APTT, C-telopeptide, ACTH | 62 | ||
| Plasma/Serum | Potassium, bicarbonate, lactate, glucose, magnesium, APTT, osteocalcin, C-telopeptide | 62 | ||
| 4°C for >16 hours (then −80°C) | Serum | C-reactive protein, retinol, ferritin | Fatty acids (13) | 59 |
| Plasma/serum | Aldosterone, α-subunit total, α-subunit free, AVP, CRH, C-peptide, FSH, glucagon, GH, IGF-1, IGF-BP3, insulin, leptin, LH, PPP, PTH, prolactin, VIP | 34 | ||
| Plasma | ACTH | 34 | ||
| Plasma | Vitamin B12 | Folate | 65 | |
| Serum | Total PSA | 64 | ||
| Serum | Total PSA, complex PSA | 61 | ||
| Serum | Apolipoprotein E | 66 | ||
| Serum | Cholesterol (IDL), triglycerides (VLDL, IDL), phospholipids (VLDL, IDL, LDL), proteins (VLDL, IDL, LDL, HDL) | VLDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, LDL triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, HDL triglycerides, HDL phospholipids | 67 | |
| Serum | Palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, γ-linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, saturated fatty acid, mono unsaturated fatty acid, ω 3-polyunsaturated fatty acid, ω 6-polyunsaturated fatty acid | Myristic acid | 68 | |
| Plasma/Serum | C-telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX) | 69 | ||
| Plasma | Cell-free DNA | 63 | ||
| Plasma | Catecholamines | 70 | ||
| Whole blood | Potassium | 33 | ||
| Whole blood | Lactate, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, FSH, estradiol, prolactin, folate, insulin, C-peptide, PTH, osteocalcin | 62 | ||
| Plasma/Serum | Inorganic phosphorous, lactate dehydrogenase, FSH, estradiol, prolactin, folate, insulin, C-peptide, PTH | 62 | ||
| Plasma | Sphingosine (d18:1), sphingadienine (d18:2), sphingosine (d16:1), glycerate, 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (C20:trans[6]cis[8,11,14]4) (5-HETE), threonic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPEG), Pentraxin-3, 10 peptides identified from fibrinogen, complement C4B and complement C3 | 71 | ||
| −20°C for 2 months to 5 years | Plasma | Vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin D | Vitamin A, carotenoids, vitamin E | 38 |
| Whole blood | Vitamin B1, vitamin, niacin | 38 | ||
| Serum | Anti-dengue IgM, anti-dengue IgG | 72 | ||
| Serum | C-reactive protein, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, AST, GGT, lipase, albumin, transferrin | Amylase, alanine-amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase | 73 | |
| Serum | MMP-7 | TIMP-1, VEGF, VEGF-receptor (unstable after 3 months) | 74 | |
| Serum | Total PSA | Free PSA | 64 | |
| Serum | LDL cholesterol, LDL phospholipids, LDL proteins | ApoB, cholesterol (VLDL, IDL, HDL), triglycerides (VLDL, IDL, LDL, HDL), phospholipids (VLDL, IDL, HDL), proteins (VLDL, IDL, HDL) | 67 | |
| Serum | Palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, r-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, saturated fatty acid, mono unsaturated fatty acid, ω 3-polyunsaturated fatty acid | Myristic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, dihomo-γ-Linolenic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, ω 6-polyunsaturated fatty acid | 68 | |
| Plasma/Serum | C-telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX) | 69 | ||
| Serum | Folate | 75 | ||
| Plasma | Catecholamines (unstable after1 month) | 70 | ||
| Serum | Free PSA | 61 | ||
| Plasma/Serum | Ascorbic acid (unstable after 3 months) | 36 | ||
| Serum | Apolipoprotein E (unstable after 3 months) | 66 | ||
| Plasma | Thromboplastin, prothrombin, thrombin, fibrinogen, coagulation factors II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII, protein C, protein S, antithrombin, plasminogen, von Willebrand factor, D-dimer (unstable after 3 months) | 76 |
ACTH, adrenocorticotrophic hormone; APTT, activated partial thromboplastin time; FSH, follicle-stimulating hormone; HDL, high density lipoprotein; IDL, intermediate density lipoprotein; LDL, low density lipoprotein; PSA, prostate-specific antigen; PTH, parathyroid hormone; VLDL, very low density lipoprotein.