Preanalytical stability of 17 analytes in whole blood during transportation

Reliable biochemical measurements are essential to patient care and rely on the correct preanalytical handling of blood samples. In Denmark, whole blood samples are transported from general practitioners to local hospital laboratories daily, and whole blood stability for 10 h is required for analytes to be included in this transportation service in the North Jutland Region. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the stability of 17 analytes in whole blood during transportation and storage for 6 and 10 h at room temperature (21 °C). Ten randomly selected participants were included in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Aalborg University Hospital. Three serum vacutainer tubes were collected from each participant, and 17 analytes (lipoprotein a, immunoglobulin G1, β-2-Microglobulin, κ free light chain, λ free light chain, peptidyl peptidase A, protein, apolipoprotein B, insulin-like growth factor 1, somatotropin, thyroxin binding globulin, anticardiolipin antibodies IgM, prolactin, thyroid peroxidase antibodies, thyroglobulin, thyroglobulin antibodies,17-Hydroxyprogesterone) were measured at baseline, after 6 h, and after 10 h. All analytes showed 6- and 10-hour stability within the limits of the preestablished analytical variation, reflected by coefficients of variation, in the laboratory (accredited by ISO-15189). Thus, transportation and storage of whole blood at room temperature for 6 and 10 h did not result in significant changes in the levels of the 17 studied analytes. Therefore, all analytes were suitable for the transportation service in the North Jutland Region, Denmark.