title: Stability of Chronic Hepatitis-Related Parameters in Serum Samples After Long-Term Storage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum samples are widely used in clinical research, but a comprehensive research of the stability of parameters relevant to chronic hepatitis and the effect of a relatively long-term (up to 10 years) storage on the stability have rarely been studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the stability of chronic hepatitis-related parameters in serum samples after long-term storage.
  
  
  METHODS
  The storage stability of common clinical parameters such as total bile acid (TBA), total bilirubin (TBIL), potassium, cholesterol, and protein parameters such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase (CK), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), albumin, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and also hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10 (CXCL10) were tested in serum samples after storing at -20°C or -70°C for 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 10 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of TBA, TBIL, and protein parameters such as ALT, CK, GGT, HDL, and HBsAg decreased significantly, but levels of potassium and cholesterol increased significantly after long-term storage, whereas blood glucose and triglycerides were stable during storage. HBV DNA remained stable at -70°C but changed at -20°C, whereas HCV RNA was stable after 1-, 2-, and 3-year storage. CXCL10 was still detectable after 8-year storage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low temperatures (-70°C/80°C) are necessary for storage of serum samples in chronic hepatitis B research after long-term storage.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Rentao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Yunjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Xiaomei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Yulan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Mingdong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Weilong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Wenting
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, The Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|2 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .|3 Institute of Immunology, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Guohong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000592:standards*; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000592:standards*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: hepatitis parameters; human serum; long-term storage; stability