Collection, Processing, and Storage Consideration for Urinary Biomarker Research

There are several urinary proteins that show promise as novel markers of urinary tract infections. The identification of a novel biomarker that has greater predictive accuracy compared to current diagnostic methods has the potential to greatly improve the ability to manage patients with urinary tract infections. However, sample collection, processing, and storage can all potentially impact the results of biomarker research. Understanding the effects of each of these stages on biomarker studies is necessary to inform future, high-quality research in this area, as well as to critically review other studies in this area. Here, the study reviews the literature regarding the effects of each stage of urine sample processing and reports the effects of various conditions on urinary proteins. The protocol will focus on collection techniques, time and temperature of storage, processing techniques, use of reagents, and long-term freezing on biomarker stability. It will focus on proteins but will briefly discuss other materials that may be utilized in biomarker research. In doing so, this protocol will provide a guide to future researchers to assist in the design of urinary biomarkers studies.