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Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, November 2000, p. 882-884, Vol. 7, No. 6
1071-412X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Use of a Dry-Plasma Collection Device to Overcome Problems with Storage and Transportation of Blood Samples for Epidemiology Studies in Developing Countries

Zhannat Z. Nurgalieva,1 R. Almuchambetova,2 A. Machmudova,2 D. Kapsultanova,2 Michael S. Osato,1 Jeffrey Peacock,3 Richard P. Zoltek,4 Patrice A. Marchildon,3 David Y. Graham,1,* and Abai Zhangabylov2

Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Departments of Medicine and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas1; and EPI, Stony Brook, New York3; Chematics, Inc., North Webster, Indiana4; and Department of Faculty Therapy, Almaty State Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan2

Received 3 April 2000/Returned for modification 14 June 2000/Accepted 25 July 2000

Studies are difficult in areas lacking modern facilities due to the inability to reliably collect, store, and ship samples. Thus, we sought to evaluate the use of a dry plasma collection device for seroepidemiology studies. Plasma was obtained by fingerstick using a commercial dry plasma collection device (Chemcard Plasma Collection Device) and serum (venipuncture) from individuals in Kazakhstan. Plasma samples were air dried for 15 min and then stored desiccated in foil zip-lock pouches at 4 to 6°C and subsequently shipped to the United States by air at ambient temperature. Serum samples remained frozen at -20°C until assayed. Helicobacter pylori status was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (HM-CAP EIA) for the dry plasma and the serum samples. The results were concordant in 250 of the 289 cases (86.5%). In 25 cases (8.6%), the dry plasma samples gave indeterminate results and could not be retested because only one sample was collected. Five serum samples were positive, and the corresponding dry plasma samples were negative; one serum sample was negative, and the corresponding plasma sample was positive. The relative sensitivity and specificity of the Chemcard samples to serum were 97.6 and 97.9%, respectively, excluding those with indeterminate results. Repeated freeze-thawing had no adverse effect on the accuracy of the test. We found the dry plasma collection device to provide an accurate and practical alternative to serum when venipuncture may be difficult or inconvenient and sample storage and handling present difficulties, especially for seroepidemiologic studies in rural areas or developing countries and where freeze-thawing may be unavoidable.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd. (111-D), Houston, TX 77030. Phone: (713) 791-1414. Fax: (713) 790-1040. E-mail: dgrahamm{at}bcm.tmc.edu.


Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, November 2000, p. 882-884, Vol. 7, No. 6
1071-412X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.






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