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Sampling and processing of fresh blood samples within a European multicenter nutritional study: evaluation of biomarker stability during transport and storage

International Journal of Obesity volume 32, pages S66–S75 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduction:

Analysis of several biological markers improves the quality and physiologic comprehension of data obtained in epidemiological nutritional studies.

Aim:

To develop a methodology that guarantees the centralized analysis and quality assurance of the most relevant blood parameters from fresh blood samples in adolescents in a European multicenter study.

Materials and methods:

Stability of selected nutrients and biomarkers (vitamins, fatty acids, iron metabolism and immunological parameters) chosen with respect to time and temperature of sample transport and storage was evaluated as part of the pilot study of the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) project.

Results:

Routine biochemistry and iron status parameters included in the HELENA Cross-Sectional Study (CSS) protocol could be analyzed within 24 h from fresh blood samples without any stability problems (coefficient of variation (CV)<5%, P<0.05). However, stability tests for lymphocyte subpopulations, vitamin C and fatty acids showed that they are very unstable at room temperature without any treatment. Therefore, a special handling for these samples was developed. Vitamin C was stabilized with metaphosphoric acid and transported under cooled conditions (CV 4.4%, recovery rate >93%, P>0.05). According to the results, a specific methodology and transport system were developed to collect blood samples at schools in 10 European cities and to send them to the centralized laboratory (IEL, Bonn, Germany). To guarantee good clinical practice, the field workers were instructed in a training workshop and a manual of operation was developed.

Conclusion:

The handling and transport system for fresh blood samples developed for the European multicenter study HELENA is adequate for the final part of the HELENA-CSS and will provide, for the first time, reference values for several biological markers in European adolescents.

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Acknowledgements

The HELENA Study was carried out with the financial support of the European Community Sixth RTD Framework Programme (Contract FOOD-CT-2005-007034). The content of this article reflects only the authors’ views, and the European Community is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. Many thanks to Christel Bierschbach, Adelheid Schuch, Petra Pickert, Anke Carstensen for their contribution to laboratory work, and to Marie-Adélaïde Bout for printing LRF and managing the automatic record of 2D-code.

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Author notes

  1. M González-Gross, C Breidenassel, S Gómez-Martínez, M Ferrari, L Béghin, A Spinneker, L E Díaz, G Maiani, A Demailly, J Al-Tahan, U Albers, J Wärnberg, B Stoffel-Wagner, D Jiménez-Pavón, C Libersa, K Pietrzik, A Marcos and P Stehle: See Appendix at the end of the supplement on page S82.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    M González-Gross, U Albers & D Jiménez-Pavón

  2. Institut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelwissenschaften—Humanernährung, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität, Bonn, Germany

    M González-Gross, C Breidenassel, A Spinneker, J Al-Tahan, K Pietrzik & P Stehle

  3. Grupo Inmunonutrición, IF-ICTAN Instituto del Frío- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos y Nutrición, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain

    S Gómez-Martínez, L E Díaz, J Wärnberg & A Marcos

  4. Human Nutrition Unit, INRAN, Italy

    M Ferrari & G Maiani

  5. EA-3925, Université de Lille 2, Medicine Faculty, Lille, France

    L Béghin

  6. CIC-9301 CH&U-Inserm Lille, and Therapeutic and Predictive Medicine Institute, Lille, France

    L Béghin, A Demailly & C Libersa

  7. Institut für klinische Biochemie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität, Bonn, Germany

    B Stoffel-Wagner

  8. Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    J Wärnberg

Authors
  1. M González-Gross
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  2. C Breidenassel
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  3. S Gómez-Martínez
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  4. M Ferrari
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  5. L Béghin
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  6. A Spinneker
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  7. L E Díaz
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  8. G Maiani
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  9. A Demailly
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  10. J Al-Tahan
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  11. U Albers
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  12. J Wärnberg
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  13. B Stoffel-Wagner
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  14. D Jiménez-Pavón
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  15. C Libersa
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  16. K Pietrzik
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  17. A Marcos
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  18. P Stehle
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on behalf of the HELENA Study Group

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Correspondence to M González-Gross.

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The authors state no conflict of interest.

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González-Gross, M., Breidenassel, C., Gómez-Martínez, S. et al. Sampling and processing of fresh blood samples within a European multicenter nutritional study: evaluation of biomarker stability during transport and storage. Int J Obes 32 (Suppl 5), S66–S75 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.185

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