title: Agreement of blood spot card measurements of vitamin D levels with serum, whole blood specimen types and a dietary recall instrument.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ability to measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels from blood spot cards can simplify sample collection versus samples obtained by venipuncture, particularly in populations in whom it is difficult to draw blood. We sought to validate the use of blood spot samples for the measurement of 25OHD compared to serum or whole blood samples and correlate the measured levels with intake estimated from dietary recall.
  
  
  METHODS
  Utilizing 109 biological mothers of infants enrolled in the Tennessee Children's Respiratory Initiative cohort, we measured 25OHD levels through highly selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry on samples from blood spot cards, serum, and whole blood collected at enrollment. Dietary questionnaires (n = 65) were used to assess 25OHD intake by dietary recall. Sample collection measures were assessed for agreement and 25OHD levels for association with dietary 25OHD intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean absolute differences (95%CI) in 25OHD levels measured between whole blood and blood spot (n = 50 pairs) or serum and blood spot (n = 20) were 3.2 (95%CI:1.6, 4.8) ng/ml and 1.5 (95%CI:-0.5,3.4) ng/mL. Intake by dietary recall was marginally associated with 25OHD levels after adjustment for current smoking and race in linear regression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  25OHD levels determined by mass spectrometry from blood spot cards, serum and whole blood show relatively good agreement, although 25OHD levels are slightly lower when measured by blood spot cards. Blood spot samples are a less invasive means of obtaining 25OHD measurements, particularly in large population-based samples, or among children when venipuncture may decrease study participation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America. Emma.Larkin@Vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Emma K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.forename: Tebeb
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gebretsadik
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koestner
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Zhouwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kecia N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Minton
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: Tina V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Hartert
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008722:Methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D