Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2008) 16 P10

ECE2008 Poster Presentations Adrenal (61 abstracts)

Effect of storage temperatures and different coagulants on stability of plasma ACTH

Walter Hubl 1 , Jürgen Schmieder 2 , Steffen Lutter 3 & Elke Raugut 3


1Institut für Klinische Chemie und Labormedizin, Krankenhaus, Dresden-Friedrichstadt, Germany; 2Laborpartnerschaft Dr Scholz, Dr Grimmer, Dr Hummel and DC Schmieder, Chemintz and Dresden, Germany; 3DiaSorin GmbH, Dietzenbach, Germany.


The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different coagulants and storage conditions on the stability of ACTH in plasma using the LIAISON-ACTH-Chemiluminescence Immunoassay.

Design and methods: Sequential human blood samples were collected from healthy volunteers (n=83) between 8 and 10 pm into EDTA collection tubes (Sarstedt) and EDTA plus aprotinin tubes (Vacuette, Greiner Labortechnik), respectively. After collection the blood samples were centrifuged immediately at 4 °C and on the other hand a second aliquot at room temperature, then assayed for ACTH immediately and after storage times of 2, 4, 8, and 24 h at 4 °C and other aliquots at room temperature.

ACTH was determined using the fully automated LIAISON random access analyser.

Results: EDTA-plasma samples collected with aprotinin centrifuged and stored at 4 °C showed the best stability of ACTH until 8 h with 94.0% in comparison to the ACTH concentration immediately after centrifugation; on the other hand centrifuged at 22 °C and stored at 22 °C the ACTH was stable for 4 h with 92.0%. ACTH in plasma samples without aprotinin centrifuged and stored at 4 °C was stable until 8 h with 92.6%; the ACTH centrifuged at 22 °C and stored at 4 °C was stable until 2 h with 99.0%; the ACTH was unstable after centrifugation and storage at 22 °C with a decrease at 2 h to 88.8%.

Conclusion: ACTH in EDTA-plasma after centrifugation at 22 °C is stable at 4 °C only for 2 h, the stability is extended until 8 h after centrifugation at 4 °C. The addition of aprotinin showed an improvement of the stability especially at 22 °C.

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