A New Faecal Immunochemical Test Buffer With Improved Haemoglobin Stability Under Varying Temperature and Storage...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Public Health

Background:

• Faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) is vital for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.
• Temperature-induced degradation of faecal haemoglobin (f-Hb) can compromise FIT accuracy.
• Assessing f-Hb preservation in novel FIT buffers is critical for reliable screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the f-Hb preservation capabilities of a new FIT buffer formulation (SOC4).
• To compare SOC4's performance against the standard buffer (SOC3) under various temperature and time conditions.
• To determine the impact of temperature and duration on f-Hb stability in FIT samples.

Main Methods:

• Faecal samples with active colorectal bleeding were collected using FIT kits with SOC3 or SOC4 buffers.
• Pooled samples were incubated at temperatures ranging from 4°C to 50°C for up to 28 days.
• f-Hb concentrations were analyzed, and relative f-Hb changes were compared between buffer types and conditions.

Main Results:

• The standard buffer (SOC3) showed significant f-Hb decline from day 10 at 23°C and from day 3 at higher temperatures.
• The new buffer (SOC4) maintained f-Hb stability for up to 28 days at 23°C.
• SOC4 demonstrated superior f-Hb preservation compared to SOC3, with significant differences observed (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• The SOC4 FIT buffer significantly enhances f-Hb stability over the standard formulation.
• Improved f-Hb stability with SOC4 may lead to more accurate CRC screening.
• This new buffer is particularly beneficial for FIT accuracy in high-temperature environments.