Blood Glucose Determinations Differ in Plasma and Serum
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 05 Jul 2012 |
Blood glucose determination is one of the most common clinical diagnostic tests and accurate and precise measurement of blood glucose is of great importance in the diagnosis and management of diabetes.
The concentration of glucose in the blood will continue to decrease over time after phlebotomy because of glycolysis, which will occur in erythrocytes, white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets as these cells can continue to metabolize glucose.
Laboratory scientists at the University of Mysore, (Manasagangotri, India) investigated the effect of time and the method of processing of blood on the blood glucose levels. Blood from 30 different patients who came for routine blood glucose determination were used in the study. Whole blood was divided into three portions. One portion was allowed to clot. To the second portion, 2mg/mL sodium fluoride was added, and to the third portion, ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA)–disodium salt was added.
Blood sugar was estimated using a blood sugar assay kit (Becton Dickinson, Bangalore, India). Optical Density (OD) of the colored complex was measured at 620 nm in an autoanalyzer. Blood sugar in these samples stored at room temperature was measured again after four hours and eight hours. The serum gave values lower than fluoride plasma by 1.15%. Although this difference was statistically significant, it may not be physiologically relevant. On storing the sample at room temperature for eight hours, the serum glucose value decreased by 8% and even fluoride plasma had 4.3% lower glucose.
The authors concluded that blood glucose should be determined within as short a time as possible after drawing the blood. The blood glucose values ranged from 76 to 410 mg/dL covering a wide range of blood glucose values that would be seen in any sample analysis. Serum may be a better sample for blood glucose determination particularly when there is a time delay in the measurement. If appropriate correction is applied, it may actually be a better sample than plasma. Moreover, many clinical analysis procedures require serum rather than plasma and therefore one single drawing of blood may suffice for even blood glucose estimation. The study was published online on May 14, 2012, in the Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis.
Related Links:
University of Mysore
Becton Dickinson
The concentration of glucose in the blood will continue to decrease over time after phlebotomy because of glycolysis, which will occur in erythrocytes, white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets as these cells can continue to metabolize glucose.
Laboratory scientists at the University of Mysore, (Manasagangotri, India) investigated the effect of time and the method of processing of blood on the blood glucose levels. Blood from 30 different patients who came for routine blood glucose determination were used in the study. Whole blood was divided into three portions. One portion was allowed to clot. To the second portion, 2mg/mL sodium fluoride was added, and to the third portion, ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA)–disodium salt was added.
Blood sugar was estimated using a blood sugar assay kit (Becton Dickinson, Bangalore, India). Optical Density (OD) of the colored complex was measured at 620 nm in an autoanalyzer. Blood sugar in these samples stored at room temperature was measured again after four hours and eight hours. The serum gave values lower than fluoride plasma by 1.15%. Although this difference was statistically significant, it may not be physiologically relevant. On storing the sample at room temperature for eight hours, the serum glucose value decreased by 8% and even fluoride plasma had 4.3% lower glucose.
The authors concluded that blood glucose should be determined within as short a time as possible after drawing the blood. The blood glucose values ranged from 76 to 410 mg/dL covering a wide range of blood glucose values that would be seen in any sample analysis. Serum may be a better sample for blood glucose determination particularly when there is a time delay in the measurement. If appropriate correction is applied, it may actually be a better sample than plasma. Moreover, many clinical analysis procedures require serum rather than plasma and therefore one single drawing of blood may suffice for even blood glucose estimation. The study was published online on May 14, 2012, in the Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis.
Related Links:
University of Mysore
Becton Dickinson
Latest Clinical Chem. News
- Carbon Nanotubes Help Build Highly Accurate Sensors for Continuous Health Monitoring
- Paper-Based Device Boosts HIV Test Accuracy from Dried Blood Samples
- AI-Powered Raman Spectroscopy Method Enables Rapid Drug Detection in Blood
- Novel LC-MS/MS Assay Detects Low Creatinine in Sweat and Saliva
- Biosensing Technology Breakthrough Paves Way for New Methods of Early Disease Detection
- New Saliva Test Rapidly Identifies Paracetamol Overdose
- POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes
- Screening Tool Detects Multiple Health Conditions from Single Blood Drop
- Integrated Chemistry and Immunoassay Analyzer with Extensive Assay Menu Offers Flexibility, Scalability and Data Commutability
- Rapid Drug Test to Improve Treatment for Patients Presenting to Hospital
- AI Model Detects Cancer at Lightning Speed through Sugar Analyses
- First-Ever Blood-Powered Chip Offers Real-Time Health Monitoring
- New ADLM Guidance Provides Expert Recommendations on Clinical Testing For Respiratory Viral Infections
- 3D Printed Point-Of-Care Mass Spectrometer Outperforms State-Of-The-Art Models
- POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection
- Highly Reliable Cell-Based Assay Enables Accurate Diagnosis of Endocrine Diseases
Channels
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
Simple DNA PCR-Based Lab Test to Enable Personalized Treatment of Bacterial Vaginosis
Approximately one in three women aged 14-49 in the United States will experience bacterial vaginosis (BV), a vaginal bacterial imbalance, at some point in their lives. Around 50% of BV cases do not present... Read more
Rapid Diagnostic Test to Halt Mother-To-Child Hepatitis B Transmission
Hepatitis B, an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), is the second-leading infectious cause of death globally, following tuberculosis. This viral infection can result in serious... Read moreHematology
view channel
New Scoring System Predicts Risk of Developing Cancer from Common Blood Disorder
Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) is a blood disorder commonly found in older adults, characterized by mutations in blood cells and a low blood count, but without any obvious cause or... Read more
Non-Invasive Prenatal Test for Fetal RhD Status Demonstrates 100% Accuracy
In the United States, approximately 15% of pregnant individuals are RhD-negative. However, in about 40% of these cases, the fetus is also RhD-negative, making the administration of RhoGAM unnecessary.... Read moreImmunology
view channel
Post-Treatment Blood Test Could Inform Future Cancer Therapy Decisions
In the ongoing advancement of personalized medicine, a new study has provided evidence supporting the use of a tool that detects cancer-derived molecules in the blood of lung cancer patients years after... Read moreCerebrospinal Fluid Test Predicts Dangerous Side Effect of Cancer Treatment
In recent years, cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach where the patient's immune system is harnessed to fight cancer. One form of immunotherapy, called CAR-T-cell therapy, involves... Read more
New Test Measures Preterm Infant Immunity Using Only Two Drops of Blood
Preterm infants are particularly vulnerable due to their organs still undergoing development, which can lead to difficulties in breathing, eating, and regulating body temperature. This is especially true... Read more
Simple Blood Test Could Help Choose Better Treatments for Patients with Recurrent Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer, which develops in the lining of the uterus, is the most prevalent gynecologic cancer in the United States, affecting over 66,000 women annually. Projections indicate that in 2025, around... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
Breakthrough Diagnostic Technology Identifies Bacterial Infections with Almost 100% Accuracy within Three Hours
Rapid and precise identification of pathogenic microbes in patient samples is essential for the effective treatment of acute infectious diseases, such as sepsis. The fluorescence in situ hybridization... Read moreInnovative ID/AST System to Help Diagnose Infectious Diseases and Combat AMR
Each year, 11 million people across the world die of sepsis out of which 1.3 million deaths are due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to weigh heavily,... Read more
Gastrointestinal Panel Delivers Rapid Detection of Five Common Bacterial Pathogens for Outpatient Use
Acute infectious gastroenteritis results in approximately 179 million cases each year in the United States, leading to a significant number of outpatient visits and hospitalizations. To address this, a... Read morePathology
view channel
New AI Model Predicts Gene Variants’ Effects on Specific Diseases
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has greatly enhanced our ability to identify a vast number of genetic variants in increasingly larger populations. However, up to half of these variants are... Read more
Powerful AI Tool Diagnoses Coeliac Disease from Biopsy Images with Over 97% Accuracy
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten, causing symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, skin rashes, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia. Due to the wide variation... Read moreTechnology
view channel
Smartphones Could Diagnose Diseases Using Infrared Scans
Rapid advancements in technology may soon make it possible for individuals to bypass invasive medical procedures by simply uploading a screenshot of their lab results from their phone directly to their doctor.... Read more
Novel Sensor Technology to Enable Early Diagnoses of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders
Metabolites are critical compounds that fuel life's essential functions, playing a key role in producing energy, regulating cellular activities, and maintaining the balance of bodily systems.... Read more
3D Printing Breakthrough Enables Large Scale Development of Tiny Microfluidic Devices
Microfluidic devices are diagnostic systems capable of analyzing small volumes of materials with precision and speed. These devices are used in a variety of applications, including cancer cell analysis,... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Philips and Ibex Expand Partnership to Enhance AI-Enabled Pathology Workflows
Royal Philips (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) has expanded its partnership with Ibex Medical Analytics (Tel Aviv, Israel) and released the new Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution (PIPS) to further accelerate... Read more
Grifols and Inpeco Partner to Deliver Transfusion Medicine ‘Lab of The Future’
Grifols (Barcelona, Spain), a manufacturer of plasma-derived medicines and innovative diagnostic solutions, has entered into a strategic agreement with Inpeco (Novazzano, Switzerland), a global leader... Read more