title: Comparison of C-reactive protein levels between serum and plasma samples on long-term frozen storage after a 13.8 year interval: the JMS Cohort Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase reactant, and has been reported as a predictor of cardiovascular diseases. Measurements of high sensitive CRP in thawed samples are possible and the values are thought to remain stable even after frozen storage. However, the long-term stability of CRP values has not been documented. We measured the values of CRP before and after long-term storage, and examined the difference in determined values.
  
  
  METHODS
  High sensitive CRP was measured before and after long-term storage of samples from 99 men and women among the JMS Cohort Study subjects. We selected subjects who underwent measurement of high sensitive CRP at the baseline by stratified sampling methods using baseline CRP values. CRP was measured in serum samples at the baseline and in thawed plasma samples after an average storage period of 13.8 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Geometric means of CRP were 0.25 mg/L and 0.59 mg/L before and after storage, respectively. The CRP values were significantly higher after long-term frozen storage than at the baseline (p<0.0001). The both values of logarithm CRP were significantly correlated using Pearson's correlation (r = 0.920, 95% confidence interval: 0.883-0.945).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CRP values increased after long-term frozen storage. The CRP values showed a high correlation between before and after long-term storage.
authors.affiliation: Division of Community and Family Medicine, Center for Community Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan. i-shizu@jichi.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shizukiyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kayaba
authors.forename: Tadao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.forename: Yosikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kazuomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kario
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kajii
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein