TY - JOUR
T1 - The use of dried blood spot sampling in the national social life, health, and aging project
AU - Williams, Sharon R.
AU - McDade, Thomas W.
N1 - Funding Information:
The National Health, Social Life, and Aging Project (NSHAP) is supported by the National Institutes of Health — the National Institute on Aging , Office of Women’s Health Research Office of AIDS Research , and the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research ( 5R01AG021487
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Objectives This paper describes the methods used for and issues associated with collection and analysis of dried blood spot (DBS) samples for the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project and provides the basic distributions of the resulting analytes.Methods DBSs from capillary finger sticks were collected by nonmedically trained interviewers from 2,044 individuals, aged 57-85 years. The quality and quantity of DBS samples were evaluated to allow for analysis of interviewer performance. Levels of C-reactive protein, antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus, hemoglobin, and glycosylated hemoglobin were assayed using various analytic methods. Results Cooperation rate for DBS collection was 84.5%, with 99% of the cards yielding enough sample for at least one analysis. The distribution, mean, and standard deviation of the analytes obtained from DBSs are also presented in this paper.Conclusions The high cooperation rate and quality of the spots collected suggest that the collection of DBSs in population-based research is a feasible and viable alternative to venous blood draws. The relative ease of sample collection, transport, and storage are significant benefits. Care should be taken, however, when comparing results from analysis of DBS samples with those obtained from serum or plasma samples.
AB - Objectives This paper describes the methods used for and issues associated with collection and analysis of dried blood spot (DBS) samples for the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project and provides the basic distributions of the resulting analytes.Methods DBSs from capillary finger sticks were collected by nonmedically trained interviewers from 2,044 individuals, aged 57-85 years. The quality and quantity of DBS samples were evaluated to allow for analysis of interviewer performance. Levels of C-reactive protein, antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus, hemoglobin, and glycosylated hemoglobin were assayed using various analytic methods. Results Cooperation rate for DBS collection was 84.5%, with 99% of the cards yielding enough sample for at least one analysis. The distribution, mean, and standard deviation of the analytes obtained from DBSs are also presented in this paper.Conclusions The high cooperation rate and quality of the spots collected suggest that the collection of DBSs in population-based research is a feasible and viable alternative to venous blood draws. The relative ease of sample collection, transport, and storage are significant benefits. Care should be taken, however, when comparing results from analysis of DBS samples with those obtained from serum or plasma samples.
KW - Aging
KW - Biomeasures
KW - Dried blood spots
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U2 - 10.1093/geronb/gbn022
DO - 10.1093/geronb/gbn022
M3 - Article
C2 - 19244547
AN - SCOPUS:70350724521
SN - 1079-5014
VL - 64
SP - i131-i136
JO - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
IS - SUPPL.1
ER -