title: The Influence of Blood Collection Tubes on Measurement of Cardiac Biomarkers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The tube used to collect a blood specimen may have an effect on some test results. This study evaluated three different types of blood collection tubes manufactured in China for use in testing three cardiac biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were drawn from 42 patients in the Intensive Care Unit and were sampled into three different types of blood collection tubes at the same time. All samples were subjected to analysis of myoglobin (MYO), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), and high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) using the Roche Cobas e411 chemistry analyzer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference in the test results for MYO and CK-MB among the three different types of blood collection tubes. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the measured level of hs-cTnT. The hs-cTnT values in tubes with clot activator were significantly lower than the values from tubes with no additive (p = 0.000) or lithium heparin (p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three types of blood collection tubes are safe for myoglobin and CK-MB determination without altering the results. However, the hs-cTnT value was lower in clot activator tubes than in tubes with no additive or with heparin lithium. Thus, we conclude that using clot activator tubes can affect the determination of hs-cTnT concentration which should be noted in clinical practice.
authors.forename: Huihua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Wujie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Zhijiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Huayi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000097:blood*; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009211:Myoglobin; D020107:Troponin T; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form