Stability of N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide after Storage Frozen for One Year and after Multiple Freeze-Thaw Cycles

摘要

Cardiac natriuretic peptides are of interest for their potential role in assisting in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of left ventricular dysfunction and congestive heart failure (1). An electrochemiluminescence immunoassay for the measurement of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) on the Elecsys? immunoassay analyzer platform (Roche Diagnostics Corporation) has recently received Food and Drug Administration clearance to aid in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure (2). We report here on the stability of the NT-proBNP analyte when measured with the Roche Diagnostic NT-proBNP assay after specimen storage at ?80 °C for longer than 1 year and after five freeze-thaw (?80 and 22 °C) cycles.Twenty-five samples were collected from healthy and heart failure clinic adult volunteers under informed consent according to the policies of the Washington University School of Medicine’s Institutional Review Board. All glass collection tubes were from Becton Dickinson. Lithium-heparin plasma (prod. no. 367686) was collected from …