Blood sampled through dried blood spots (DBS) exhibits diminished ex vivo metabolism compared to whole blood through use of a kinetic isotope-labeling metabolomics approach
Biochemistry and Analytical Biochemistry, 2017, 6:2. BERG researchers investigate alternative methods for assessing metabolism in biofluids using an isotope labeling metabolomics approach through dried blood spot analysis.
Authors: Collin Hill, Jeremy Drolet, Mark Kellogg, Vladimir Tolstikov, Niven R. Narain, and Michael A. Kiebish
Analysis of metabolism in biofluids is a popular method for diagnosis and disease monitoring in precision medicine and population health applications. In this study, BERG investigators compared blood collected using conventional methods, with blood spotted onto a dried blood spot (DBS) card to measure differences in glucose breakdown between the two sampling methods. Using mass spectrometry combined with isotope labeling methods, we found that blood samples collected using conventional blood collection methods continued to actively metabolize glucose, whereas samples on DBS cards rapidly arrested glucose metabolism. Capture of blood onto DBS cards therefore provides a more informative readout of the cellular metabolism present in a patient biofluid samples, and can likely be extended to other pathways involved in health and disease.