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Updated: Apr 17, 2026
Human Skeletal Muscle Biopsy Procedures Using the Modified Bergström Technique
Published on: September 10, 2014
Gene expression and fiber type variations in repeated vastus lateralis biopsies
Niklas Boman1, Jonas Burén2, Henrik Antti3
1Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine, Umeå University, Umå, Sweden.
Introduction:
Muscle sample collection can introduce variation in any measured variable due to inter- and intramuscle variation. We investigated the variation in gene expression and fiber type composition after repeated biopsy sampling from the vastus lateralis muscle.
Methods:
Six subjects donated 3 tissue samples each. One hour after baseline sampling from 1 vastus lateralis muscle, samples from both vastus lateralis muscles were obtained.
Results:
The fiber type composition differed between biopsies taken from the same leg. There were no within-subject differences in gene expression between the 3 biopsies. Multivariate analysis supports a model in which gene expression differs significantly between individuals but is not affected by repeated muscle biopsy sampling from the same subject.
Conclusion:
One vastus lateralis muscle sample per subject is sufficient to establish a reliable baseline for comparing gene expression representing selected pathways over time within the same individual.
