Effects of Storage Duration and Temperature Conditions on Biochemical Analytes in Porcine Clotted, Uncentrifuged Blood Samples

Correct interpretation of biochemical analytes is crucial for precise diagnosis and treatment of different diseases in production animals including pigs. Given the considerable distances between some farms and clinical laboratories in some countries like e.g. Norway, blood samples are sometimes delayed during shipment. If sample shipment should include a delay over weekend, transport duration may exceed 72 hours. During the summertime, temperatures in Norway can easily reach 25°C. On the other hand, winter temperatures in certain districts can occasionally drop below -30°C [1]. Previous studies confirm that storage conditions and transport duration of blood samples have a significant influence on biochemical values. Several studies have focused on storage duration and environmental effects on samples of human origin [2-7]. Both normal serum activity and isoenzyme patterns differ between species and therefore it is not advisable to uncritically draw parallels between species [8]. A few studies have looked at environmental and storage duration consequences on biochemical analytes in animal samples like sheep [8,9], cattle [10,11], horses [12] and dogs [13,14]. Some studies have described effects on porcine blood fractions [8,1517], a couple of these focused on the serum fraction [8,15]. To the authors’ knowledge, only one study has been conducted on uncentrifuged clotted blood from pigs [15] and this investigation looked at samples stored at room temperature. The aim of this study was to determine the analyte stability of porcine clotted, uncentrifuged blood samples stored at chilled temperature (CT) or at room temperature (RT) prior to centrifugation 2 hours to 72 hours post sampling. The wider objective was to be able to recommend standardized routines for sample storage and processing of blood samples from pigs.