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Firkey MK, Tully LK, Bucci VM, Walsh ME, Maisto SA, Hahn JA, Bendinskas KG, Gump BB, Woolf-King SE. Feasibility of remote self-collection of dried blood spots, hair, and nails among people with HIV with hazardous alcohol use. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:986-995. [PMID: 36949025 PMCID: PMC10360030 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of biomarkers in behavioral HIV research can help to address limitations of self-reported data. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many researchers to transition from standard in-person data collection to remote data collection. We present data on the feasibility of remote self-collection of dried blood spots (DBS), hair, and nails for the objective assessment of alcohol use, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and stress in a sample of people with HIV (PWH) who are hazardous drinkers. METHODS Standardized operating procedures for remote self-collection of DBS, hair, and nails were developed for an ongoing pilot study of a transdiagnostic alcohol intervention for PWH. Prior to each study appointment, participants were mailed a kit containing materials for self-collection, instructions, a video link demonstrating the collection process, and a prepaid envelope for returning samples. RESULTS A total of 133 remote study visits were completed. For DBS and nail collection at baseline, 87.5% and 83.3% of samples, respectively, were received by the research laboratory, of which 100% of samples were processed. Although hair samples were intended to be analyzed, most of the samples (77.7%) were insufficient or the scalp end of the hair was not marked. We, therefore, decided that hair collection was not feasible in the framework of this study. CONCLUSION An increase in remote self-collection of biospecimens may significantly advance the field of HIV-related research, permitting the collection of specimens without resource-intensive laboratory personnel and facilities. Further research is needed on the factors that impeded participants' ability to complete remote biospecimen collection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lyric K. Tully
- Syracuse University, Department of Psychology, Syracuse, New York
| | | | - McKenna E. Walsh
- Syracuse University, Department of Psychology, Syracuse, New York
| | | | - Judith A. Hahn
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Brooks B. Gump
- Syracuse University, Department of Public Health, Syracuse, New York
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Brown LG, Haack AJ, Kennedy DS, Adams KN, Stolarczuk JE, Takezawa MG, Berthier E, Thongpang S, Lim FY, Chaussabel D, Garand M, Theberge AB. At-home blood collection and stabilization in high temperature climates using homeRNA. Front Digit Health 2022; 4:903153. [PMID: 36033636 PMCID: PMC9405416 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.903153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Expanding whole blood sample collection for transcriptome analysis beyond traditional phlebotomy clinics will open new frontiers for remote immune research and telemedicine. Determining the stability of RNA in blood samples exposed to high ambient temperatures (>30°C) is necessary for deploying home-sampling in settings with elevated temperatures (e.g., studying physiological response to natural disasters that occur in warm locations or in the summer). Recently, we have developed homeRNA, a technology that allows for self-blood sampling and RNA stabilization remotely. homeRNA consists of a lancet-based blood collection device, the Tasso-SST™ which collects up to 0.5 ml of blood from the upper arm, and a custom-built stabilization transfer tube containing RNAlater™. In this study, we investigated the robustness of our homeRNA kit in high temperature settings via two small pilot studies in Doha, Qatar (no. participants = 8), and the Western and South Central USA during the summer of 2021, which included a heatwave of unusually high temperatures in some locations (no. participants = 11). Samples collected from participants in Doha were subjected to rapid external temperature fluctuations from being moved to and from air-conditioned areas and extreme heat environments (up to 41°C external temperature during brief temperature spikes). In the USA pilot study, regions varied in outdoor temperature highs (between 25°C and 43.4°C). All samples that returned a RNA integrity number (RIN) value from the Doha, Qatar group had a RIN ≥7.0, a typical integrity threshold for downstream transcriptomics analysis. RIN values for the Western and South Central USA samples (n = 12 samples) ranged from 6.9–8.7 with 9 out of 12 samples reporting RINs ≥7.0. Overall, our pilot data suggest that homeRNA can be used in some regions that experience elevated temperatures, opening up new geographical frontiers in disseminated transcriptome analysis for applications critical to telemedicine, global health, and expanded clinical research. Further studies, including our ongoing work in Qatar, USA, and Thailand, will continue to test the robustness of homeRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren G. Brown
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Amanda J. Haack
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Dakota S. Kennedy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Karen N. Adams
- Institute of Translational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | | - Meg G. Takezawa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Erwin Berthier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sanitta Thongpang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand
| | - Fang Yun Lim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Damien Chaussabel
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Computer Sciences Department, The Jackson Laboratory, Farmington, CT, United States
- Correspondence: Ashleigh B. Theberge Mathieu Garand Damien Chaussabel
| | - Mathieu Garand
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Correspondence: Ashleigh B. Theberge Mathieu Garand Damien Chaussabel
| | - Ashleigh B. Theberge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Correspondence: Ashleigh B. Theberge Mathieu Garand Damien Chaussabel
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Haack AJ, Lim FY, Kennedy DS, Day JH, Adams KN, Lee JJ, Berthier E, Theberge AB. homeRNA: A Self-Sampling Kit for the Collection of Peripheral Blood and Stabilization of RNA. Anal Chem 2021; 93:13196-13203. [PMID: 34546711 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression analysis (e.g., targeted gene panels and transcriptomics) from whole blood can elucidate mechanisms of the immune function and aid in the discovery of biomarkers. Conventional venipuncture offers only a small snapshot of our broad immune landscape as immune responses may occur outside of the time and location parameters available for conventional venipuncture. A self-operated method that enables flexible sampling of liquid whole blood coupled with immediate stabilization of cellular RNA is instrumental in facilitating capture and preservation of acute or transient immune fluxes. To this end, we developed homeRNA, a kit for self-collection of peripheral blood (∼0.5 mL) and immediate stabilization of cellular RNA, using the Tasso-SST blood collection device with a specially designed stabilizer tube containing RNAlater. To assess the feasibility of homeRNA for self-collection and stabilization of whole blood RNA, we conducted a pilot study (n = 47 participants) in which we sent homeRNA to participants aged 21-69, located across 10 US states (94% successful blood collections, n = 61/65). Among participants who successfully collected blood, 93% reported no or minimal pain/discomfort using the kit (n = 39/42), and 79% reported very easy/somewhat easy stabilization protocol (n = 33/42). Total RNA yield from the stabilized samples ranged between 0.20 and 5.99 μg (mean = 1.51 μg), and all but one RNA integrity number values were above 7.0 (mean = 8.1), indicating limited RNA degradation. The results from this study demonstrate the self-collection and RNA stabilization of whole blood with homeRNA by participants themselves in their own home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Haack
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Fang Yun Lim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Dakota S Kennedy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - John H Day
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Karen N Adams
- Institute of Translational Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jing J Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Erwin Berthier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Ashleigh B Theberge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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Locatelli M, Tartaglia A, D'Ambrosio F, Ramundo P, Ulusoy H, Furton K, Kabir A. Biofluid sampler: A new gateway for mail-in-analysis of whole blood samples. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2020; 1143:122055. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2020.122055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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