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Prolonged stability of endogenous cardiotrophin-1 in whole blood
P F Downie1, S Talwar, I B Squire
1Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Leicester, UK.
Insights
Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is stable in whole blood for up to 48 hours at room temperature or on ice. This finding supports its use in routine clinical investigations for heart failure patients.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cardiology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is an IL-6 family cytokine crucial in ventricular remodeling post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
- Assessing CT-1's in vitro stability is vital for its clinical application in identifying patients with impaired ventricular function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the in vitro stability of Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) in whole blood specimens under various storage conditions.
- To evaluate the feasibility of using CT-1 in routine clinical investigations for heart failure.
Main Methods:
- Whole blood samples from 12 subjects were collected and treated with EDTA and aprotinin.
- Samples were stored for 24 and 48 hours at room temperature or on ice before plasma separation and CT-1 measurement.
- CT-1 concentrations were quantified using a competitive chemiluminescent assay.
Main Results:
- CT-1 demonstrated high stability in whole blood stored for up to 48 hours at room temperature or on ice.
- No significant changes in CT-1 concentrations were observed across different storage conditions and time points.
- Optimal storage yielded CT-1 levels of 43.1 +/- 6.05 fmol/mL, with minimal variation in other conditions.
Conclusions:
- CT-1 is stable in whole blood treated with EDTA and aprotinin for up to 48 hours under common laboratory storage conditions.
- The stability of CT-1 supports its potential for routine clinical use in assessing patients with heart failure.
- Further research can leverage these findings for developing diagnostic tools for cardiovascular conditions.
Abstract:
Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a recently identified cytokine of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family that signals through the gp130 signalling pathway. CT-1 may be of central importance to the pathogenesis of ventricular remodelling in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and therefore have clinical value in the identification of patients with impaired ventricular function. Central to the clinical use of CT-1 is in the in vitro stability of the peptide. Twelve subjects were recruited. A total of 25 mL of peripheral venous blood was collected into chilled polypropylene tubes containing EDTA and aprotinin and divided into 5 aliquots. One sample was spun in a prerefrigerated centrifuge (4 degrees C) at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes and plasma separated and frozen at -70 degrees C immediately. Remaining samples were stored for 24 and 48 hours at room temperature or on ice. CT-1 in extracted plasma specimens was measured with a competitive chemiluminescent assay. The concentration of CT-1 in samples stored optimally was 43.1 +/- 6.05 fmol/mL. CT-1 levels for storage at room temperature compared with ice at the remaining time points were as follows: 24 hours, 41.5 +/- 5.76 v 37.5 +/- 8.66; and 48 hours, 42.6 +/- 6.28 v 41.0 +/- 5.42 fmol/mL. There were no significant changes in concentrations of CT-1 stored optimally or kept for up to 48 hours in aliquots of whole blood at room temperature or on ice. We conclude that CT-1 is stable in specimens of whole blood treated with EDTA and aprotinin and stored for up to 48 hours at room temperature or on ice, hence permitting its development in the routine clinical investigation of patients with heart failure.