Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) is used as a biomarker of morbidity and mortality risk in studies of population health, and is essential to interpretation of several micronutrient biomarkers. There is thus a need for a robust high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) measurement method for large-scale, non-clinical studies. We developed an efficient, inexpensive assay suitable for quantifying CRP across the physiological range using any blood specimen type. The ELISA uses readily available monoclonal antibodies to measure CRP in serum, plasma, or dried blood spots (DBS) made from venous or capillary blood. Assay performance was evaluated by standard methods, including comparison with a previously described assay. Effects of specimen type were tested by measuring CRP in 52 matched serum, plasma, and venous and capillary dried blood spot specimens. Long- and short-term CRP stability were evaluated. Assessments of assay limits of detection, linearity, recovery, imprecision, and concordance with an established method (Pearson correlation=0.988, n=20) demonstrated the validity of the new assay. CRP measurements in serum, plasma, and DBS had Pearson correlations from 0.974 to 0.995, n=52, but CRP in serum was on average 1.6 times (SD 0.37) higher than in DBS. CRP was stable in frozen serum for up to 34months, but DBS CRP declined quickly with exposure to ambient temperatures, and across long-term storage at −20°C. This hsCRP assay is a robust and inexpensive tool designed for use in large-scale population health research. Our results indicate that DBS CRP is less stable than previously reported.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.