title: Second SPIDIA-DNA External Quality Assessment (EQA): Influence of pre-analytical phase of blood samples on genomic DNA quality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In order to develop evidence-based quality guidelines for the pre-analytical phase of blood samples used for DNA molecular testing, two pan-European External Quality Assessments (EQAs) were implemented within the European Commission funded project SPIDIA. Here we report the results of the 2nd SPIDIA EQA that has been implemented on the basis of the 1st DNA EQA with the inclusion of some stringent conditions related to blood storage temperature and time.
  
  
  METHODS
  SPIDIA facility sent to all the participants the same blood sample to be processed by their own procedure following SPIDIA suggestion for time and temperature storage. Evaluated genomic DNA (gDNA) quality parameters were: purity and yield by UV spectrophotometric analysis, PCR interferences by Kineret software and integrity by a dedicated algorithm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  188 applications have been collected from 26 European countries. A high variability of gDNA integrity was observed whereas purity, yield and PCR interferences had a narrow distribution within laboratories. A dedicated analysis on pre-analytical variables and the evaluated gDNA quality parameters showed that blood storage and DNA extraction procedures influence gDNA integrity. The performances of the participants were improved in comparison with the 1st SPIDIA-DNA EQA, probably due to adopted more stringent pre-analytical conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy. Electronic address: francesca.malentacchi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Malentacchi
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pizzamiglio
authors.affiliation: QIAGEN GmbH, Hilden, Germany.
authors.forename: Hady
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ibrahim-Gawel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pazzagli
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verderio
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara Maura
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ciniselli
authors.affiliation: QIAGEN GmbH, Hilden, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wyrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gelmini
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000592:standards; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Blood samples; External Quality Assessment; Pre-analytical phase; gDNA quality