Comparison of Barricor™ vs. lithium heparin tubes for selected routine biochemical analytes and evaluation of post centrifugation stability.
Author(s): Dupuy AM, Badiou S, Daubin D, Bargnoux AS, Magnan C, Klouche K, Cristol JP
Publication: Biochem Med (Zagreb), 2018, Vol. 28, Page 020902
PubMed ID: 29666561 PubMed Review Paper? No
Purpose of Paper
This paper investigated the effects of collection of whole blood and refrigerated plasma storage in Barricor tubes rather than lithium heparin vacutainer tubes on levels of nine clinical chemistry analytes.
Conclusion of Paper
Although the median concentrations of all nine analytes were comparable and levels were strongly correlated between plasma from lithium heparin and Barricor tubes, the bias in sodium levels exceeded the desirable bias. Potassium and lactate dehydrogenase (LD) were only stable for 4 h in refrigerated lithium heparin plasma but were stable for 72 h in plasma in Barricor tubes. Regardless of tube type, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were stable for 24 h when stored at 4ºC and the remaining six analytes were stable for 72 h of refrigerated storage.
Studies
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Study Purpose
This study compared levels of nine clinical chemistry analytes in plasma isolated from whole blood collected in Barricor and lithium heparin vacutainer tubes immediately after centrifugation and again after 4, 24, and 72 h of refrigerated storage. Matched blood specimens were collected from six healthy patients and nine patients in the intensive care unit into lithium heparin vacutainer tubes and Barricor tubes. Plasma was isolated within 30 min of collection from the lithium heparin tube by centrifugation at 2000 x g for 10 min and from the Barricor tube by centrifugation at 4000 x g for 3 min. Clinical chemistry analytes were measured in plasma using a Cobas 8000 immediately after isolation and again after 4, 24, and 72 h of storage at 4˚C. Biases were compared with published values for biological variation. Stability was defined as a mean percentage deviation less than the total change limit (TCL).
Summary of Findings:
The median concentrations of each of the nine analytes were comparable between plasma from lithium heparin and Barricor tubes and the levels of each analyte were strongly correlated (r=0.98-1.00) between tube types. While the bias was less than the maximum desirable bias for 8 of the 9 analytes, the bias in sodium levels (0.44%) exceeded the desirable bias (0.23%). However, the authors report only one paired result was outside the limit of agreement.
Refrigerated storage of plasma in lithium heparin tubes for 24 h resulted in a 12.29% increase in potassium levels and a 10.19% increase in LD levels. As these changes exceeded the total change limit (TCL), the acceptable delay in analysis for these analytes in lithium heparin tubes was defined as 4 h. In contrast, changes in lactate dehydrogenase and potassium levels remained within the TCL when plasma was refrigerated in Barricor tubes for 72 h. Levels of AST displayed changes greater than the TCL when refrigerated for 72 h, regardless of tube type. Levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), C-reactive protein (CRP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), high sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and sodium were unaffected by 72 h of refrigerated storage, regardless of tube type.
Biospecimens
Preservative Types
- None (Fresh)
Diagnoses:
- Not specified
- Normal
Platform:
Analyte Technology Platform Electrolyte/Metal Clinical chemistry/auto analyzer Protein Clinical chemistry/auto analyzer Peptide Clinical chemistry/auto analyzer Pre-analytical Factors:
Classification Pre-analytical Factor Value(s) Storage Storage duration 0 h
4 h
24 h
72 h
Biospecimen Acquisition Type of collection container/solution Barricor tube
Lithium heparin vacutainer tube