title: The effect of long-term -80°C storage of thyroid biospecimens on RNA quality and ensuring fitness for purpose.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish whether RNA degrades in long-term storage at -80°C and whether RNA integrity numbers (RINs) determine 'fitness for purpose' in severely degraded RNA.
  
  
  METHODS
  RNA was extracted from 549 thyroid biospecimens stored at -80°C for 0.1-10.9 years then their RINs correlated with storage time. RT-PCR for 65, 265, 534 and 942 base pair amplicons of hydroxymethylbilane synthase was used to measure amplicon length in RNA from cryopreserved and FFPE biospecimens that were equally degraded according to RIN.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Storage time did not correlate with RIN. Longer amplicons were obtained from cryopreserved samples than FFPE samples with equal RINs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RNA does not degrade in thyroid biospecimens stored for long periods of time at -80°C. Although RINs are known to predict amenability to analytical platforms in good quality samples, this prediction is unreliable in severely degraded samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.|Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mathieson
authors.affiliation: Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Fay
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Betsou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Myshunina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pushkarev
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pushkarev
authors.affiliation: Medical Radiological Research Centre, Obninsk, Russia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shinkarkina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: Laryssa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Voskoboynyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Gerry A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D015925:Cryopreservation; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D020871:RNA Stability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D013048:Specimen Handling; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014015:Tissue Banks; D014455:Ukraine
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; THYROID; THYROID CANCER