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Comparative Study
. 1998 Oct;36(10):3070-2.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.36.10.3070-3072.1998.

Hepatitis C virus RNA in dried serum spotted onto filter paper is stable at room temperature

K Abe  1 , N Konomi
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Hepatitis C virus RNA in dried serum spotted onto filter paper is stable at room temperature

K Abe et al. J Clin Microbiol. 1998 Oct.

Abstract

To overcome the instability of viral RNA, we carried out hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA detection in dried serum spotted onto filter paper. The spotted serum samples were stored at room temperature and then processed for PCR assay at intervals of 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks. The results showed that serum HCV RNA is stable in a dried condition, as it was detectable in spotted serum samples stored for 4 weeks at room temperature. Furthermore, although the HCV RNA titer showed an approximately 10-fold reduction in virus yield in dried serum stored at room temperature for 4 weeks, the PCR results of frozen serum samples and dried serum samples matched completely. This storage method facilitates transport and analysis by nucleic acid amplification techniques even when freezing conditions are not available.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Detection of HCV RNA in dried serum spots on filter paper by nested RT-PCR. HCV RNA was detected in dried serum spots obtained at intervals of 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. Lanes 1 through 5 and 7 are samples from HCV-infected patients, and lane 6 is a sample from an uninfected patient.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
Comparison of HCV RNA titers in frozen serum and in the same serum spotted onto filter paper and stored at room temperature for 4 weeks. A 10-fold reduction in virus yield in spotted serum samples was noted.
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
Comparison of detection rates of HCV RNA in frozen serum and dried serum spots. The PCR results between the two groups matched completely. Lanes 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are samples from HCV-infected patients, and the other lanes are samples from uninfected patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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