title: Influence of temperature during transportation on cell-free DNA analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of shipping blood in Streck blood collection tubes (BCT) prior to processing on cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood was collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and BCT tubes from 10 pregnant women carrying male fetuses. One set of each tube for each subject was processed to plasma immediately (standard cf-DNA protocol), whereas the other set was shipped by air courier and then processed. DNA was extracted and total and fetal DNA concentrations were measured by TaqMan multiplexed quantitative real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was observed in total cf-DNA in plasma between immediately processed EDTA (control) and immediately processed BCT samples. Moreover, no significant change in total cf-DNA was detected in plasma of BCT samples shipped at room temperature. Significant differences in total cf-DNA leading to a significantly decreased fetal fraction were found in shipped EDTA samples and BCT samples shipped at 4°C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BCT tubes are suitable for shipping whole blood prior to processing with respect to cf-DNA levels. However, care should be taken to ensure that samples are not exposed to extreme temperatures during shipment. This finding will benefit the development and clinical application of noninvasive methods of fetal diagnosis that utilize cf-DNA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisc., USA. mhidestrand@mcw.edu
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hidestrand
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stokowski
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Arnold
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliphant
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deavers
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goetsch
authors.forename: Pippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Randall
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuhlman
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ames
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Aoy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomita-Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D004492:Edetic Acid; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D024282:Genes, sry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013696:Temperature; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D004247:DNA; D004492:Edetic Acid