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Use of dried blood spot as an alternative method to estimate serum triglyceride in field studies

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Original Article

Author Details : Hamsa M, Raghunath H, Kruthi BN, T Sibi Mandela

Volume : 3, Issue : 1, Year : 2016

Article Page : 56-61

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Abstract

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are showing an increasing trend in both developing as well as developed countries. Raised triglycerides is considered as an important risk factor of cardio vascular diseases. Collection, storage and transportation of the blood samples from the field becomes a major limiting factor in areas lacking modern laboratory facilities. In such situations, dry blood or serum spots can become an alternative for the estimation of triglyceride. The objectives of our study was to evaluate the use of dry blood or dry serum spot to estimate triglyceride levels as an alternative method to estimate serum triglyceride and also to study the effect of storage time and storage temperature on the triglyceride content in the dry blood and serum spots.
Methodology: Blood samples were collected from 100 study participants. Seven  spots  each  of  blood  and  serum  from  these  samples  were  made  on  Whatman paper 3. After drying, one dried spot each from blood and serum was analysed on same day. Three of blood and three of serum dried spots were kept at room temperature and remaining at a temperature of 2-8° in separate re-sealable bags which were analysed on days 7, 15 and 30. Triglyceride was measured by Glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase-Peroxidase method. For estimating triglycerides in the eluate, 100 microlitre of the extract from the test-tube was added to 1 ml of the commercially available enzymatic reagent kit and incubated at 37°C for 15 min, and the absorbance was measured at 500 nm using a spectrophotometer. The data collected was analysed by Pearson’s correlation using SPSSv15.
Results: Study showed a good correlation between the serum triglyceride values and the dry serum or blood spot triglyceride values. Dried serum spot triglyceride was found to be stable for about 15 days at room temperature and 7 days at 2-8°C with good correlation with serum value. The triglyceride concentration in the dry blood spots remained stable for 7 days at both room temperature and at 2-8°C.
Conclusion: Dry blood/serum spots can be used as an alternative to serum for the estimation of triglyceride level which can be used to estimate various biochemical parameters at community level in remote areas which lack modern laboratory facilities.

Key words: Serum triglycerides, Dry blood spot, Dry serum spot, cardiovascular diseases, surveillance

How to cite : Hamsa M, Raghunath H, Kruthi Bn, Mandela T S, Use of dried blood spot as an alternative method to estimate serum triglyceride in field studies. Int J Clin Biochem Res 2016;3(1):56-61

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