Assessing RNA quality in postmortem human brain tissue.
Author(s): Chevyreva Ia, Faull RL, Green CR, Nicholson LF
Publication: Exp Mol Pathol, 2008, Vol. 84, Page 71
PubMed ID: 17959169 PubMed Review Paper? No
Purpose of Paper
Conclusion of Paper
Studies
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Study Purpose
This study performed an RNA quality assessment in post mortem brain specimens from patients that differed with respect to age, gender, diagnosis, rapidity of death, and tissue pH to identify potential correlative relationships, and to assess whether cerebellar RNA was predictive of RNA quality elsewhere in the brain.
Summary of Findings:
The authors report that brain pH correlated with RNA quality, and both were influenced by mode of death such that cases with faster deaths had higher brain pHs and better quality RNA. Mode of Death was rated "fast" or "slow" for each patient, but these terms were not defined. Longer postmortem intervals were observed to have a small deleterious effect on RNA quality. The quality of cerebellum RNA was not an optimal predictor of RNA quality elsewhere in the brain, but was successfully used as an initial screen. No relationship was observed between age of the patient, sex of the patient, or neurodegenerative disease status.
Biospecimens
Preservative Types
- Frozen
Diagnoses:
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Huntington's Disease
- Autopsy
- Not specified
- Parkinson's Disease
Platform:
Analyte Technology Platform RNA Automated electrophoresis/Bioanalyzer Pre-analytical Factors:
Classification Pre-analytical Factor Value(s) Biospecimen Aliquots and Components pH Brain pH 5.3 - 6.2
Preaquisition Postmortem interval 2 - 97 h
Preaquisition Rapidity of death Fast
Slow
Biospecimen Acquisition Biospecimen location Cerebellum
Caudate nucleus
Motor cortex
Medial temporal gyrus
Preaquisition Patient gender Female
Male
Preaquisition Diagnosis/ patient condition Alzheimer's disease
Huntington's disease
Parkinson's disease
Preaquisition Patient age 18 - 98 years