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The Impact of Hemolysis on Cell-Free microRNA Biomarkers.

Author(s): Kirschner MB, Edelman JJ, Kao SC, Vallely MP, van Zandwijk N, Reid G

Publication: Front Genet, 2013, Vol. 4, Page 94

PubMed ID: 23745127 PubMed Review Paper? No

Purpose of Paper

Conclusion of Paper

Studies

1. Study Purpose

   The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hemolysis on the levels of miRNA in plasma from healthy patients and those with MPM or CAD. Multiple tubes of blood were collected from each of 1 patient with MPM, 3 with CAD and 2 healthy controls. Hemolysis was assessed by spectrophotometry, and one tube was classified as non-hemolyzed (absorbance at 414 (A414)=0.127-0.174) and another, without further manipulation, was classified as hemolyzed (A414=0.25-0.574). To investigate higher levels of hemolysis, RBCs were lysed by freeze-thawing and added in a dilution series to plasma from a healthy individual. Plasma was stored at -80°C until RNA extraction by mirVAna and quantification by TaqMan arrays.

   Summary of Findings:

   Compared to matched non-hemolyzed specimens, hemolyzed plasma had higher levels (>2-fold) of 40.2% (78 of 194), 47.7% (71 of 149) and 53.9% (49 of 91) of detectable miRNAs in healthy patients, patients with MPM, and patients with CAD, respectively. In addition, matched hemolyzed specimens had 1.5-2.0 fold higher levels of 24.2% (47 of 194), 13.4% (20 of 149), and 17.6% (16 of 91) of detectable miRNAs in healthy patients, patients with MPM, and patients with CAD, respectively. Importantly, only 28.9%, 29.5% and 25.2% of miRNAs were unaffected (<1.5 fold change) by hemolysis in healthy patients, patients with MPM, and patients with CAD, respectively; and, only 6.7% (13 of 194), 9.4% (14 of 149) and 3.3% (3 of 91) of miRNAs were found at lower levels in the hemolyzed specimen in healthy patients, patients with MPM and patients with CAD, respectively. Of the 136 miRNAs identified in at least 4 of the 6 specimens, only 11% (15 of the 136) had higher levels (>2-fold) in hemolyzed specimens in each of the three diagnostic groups, but the authors state the lack of overlap was largely due to values failing to meet the 2-fold threshold in one diagnostic group. Importantly, only 11 of the 136 miRNA were unaffected by hemolysis in any of the 6 specimen pairs. As expected, specimens spiked with increasing concentrations of RBC lysate had higher levels of hemolysis-affected miRNAs (miR-16, miR-15b, miR-451, miR-486-3p, and miR-532-3p) and RBC-specific miRNAs (miR-1255B,miR-636,miR-886-5p, and RNU48), but comparable levels of liver-specific (miR-122) and non hemolysis-dependent miRNAs (miR-1274B,miR-142-3p, miR-146a) when compared to plasma that did not contain RBC lysate. miRNAs affected by even modest hemolysis included the proposed disease biomarkers, miR-106a, miR-17, miR-92a, and miR-210, while miR-21 was among those affected by a high degree of hemolysis.

   Biospecimens

   • Bodily Fluid - Blood
   • Bodily Fluid - Plasma

   Preservative Types

   • Frozen

   Diagnoses:

   • Coronary Artery Disease
   • Normal
   • Neoplastic - Carcinoma

   Platform:

   Analyte	Technology Platform
   RNA	Real-time qRT-PCR
   Cell count/volume	Spectrophotometry
   RNA	Low density array

   Pre-analytical Factors:

   Classification	Pre-analytical Factor	Value(s)
   Biospecimen Aliquots and Components	Hemolysis	Absent Present Hemolysate added
   Biospecimen Aliquots and Components	Biospecimen components	0% RBCs added 0.008% RBCs added 0.016% RBCs added 0.031% RBCs added 0.0625% RBCs added 0.125% RBCs added
   Real-time qRT-PCR Specific	Targeted nucleic acid	miR-16 miR-15b miR-451 miR-486-3p miR-532-3p miR-1255B miR-636 miR-886-5p RNU48 miR-122 miR-1274B miR-142-3p miR-146a miR-106a miR-17 miR-92a miR-210 miR-21 miR-31

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