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Stability of blood analytes after storage in BD SST tubes for 12 mo
Grace Mathew1, Sara R Zwart, Scott M Smith
1Enterprise Advisory Services, Inc., Houston, TX, USA.
Objectives:
We studied the stability of 33 analytes related to clinical chemistry, bone, and vitamin metabolism, after storage in serum separator tubes (SST).
Design And Methods:
Blood was collected from 6 subjects using SST tubes. Some serum remained in the tube in contact with the barrier gel and was stored at -80 degrees C for 12 mo.
Results:
Clinically significant changes occurred only in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and retinol-binding protein.
Conclusions:
Freezing SST tubes before sample analysis is a viable option for some analytes.
