The Influence of Sample Collection Methodology and Sample Preprocessing on The Blood Metabolic Profile

Abstract

Aim: Blood serum and plasma have intrinsic differences in their composition and the preprocessing, such as clotting temperature in serum, and storage at room temperature may have further effect on metabolite concentrations. Methods: The influence of sampling preprocessing on the metabolic profiles in serum and different types of plasma was investigated using liquid chromatography and comprehensive 2D gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. Results: The profiles of polar metabolites were significantly dependent on the type of the sample, while lipid profiles were similar in serum and different types of plasma. Extended storage of plasma at room temperature resulted in degradation of lipids already after 1 day. Serum clotting at room temperature generally resulted in higher metabolite concentration compared with serum clotting on ice.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was in part supported by European Union-funded project ETHERPATHS (FP7-KBBE-222639 (www.etherpaths.org), TORNADO (FP7-KBBE-222720) and the Norwegian Research Council (214191). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to thank U Lahtinen, L Öhrnberg, A-L Ruskeepää and M Hilvo for their help in chemical analysis and data processing.

Additional information

Funding

This work was in part supported by European Union-funded project ETHERPATHS (FP7-KBBE-222639 (www.etherpaths.org), TORNADO (FP7-KBBE-222720) and the Norwegian Research Council (214191). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.