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Dried blood spot tests

Renata
Renata Halak
Head of Diagnostic Laboratory
The dried blood spot (DBS) is a technique that is an alternative to conventional venipucture blood collection for clinical testing. The collection process involves a fingertip or heel (in the case of newborns and infants weighing less than 10 kg) prick and blotting the capillary blood onto a filter paper. The puncture is performed using a disposable pricker. Then blood collected on the filter paper is dried at room temperature in a horizontal position for approximately 2-3 hours. The DBS sample prepared in this way can be transported or used directly for diagnostic tests.

Unique properties of dried blood spot

  • Low invasiveness:
    Capillary blood collection is a convenient method of obtaining material for diagnostic tests in children, seniors, obese individuals, intellectually disabled individuals, as well as those who experience fear of needles.
    It provides a good solution when it is very difficult to perform an intravenous puncture due to problems with finding veins.
    In addition, obtaining blood from the fingertip may be advisable for individuals who engage in intensive training, as there is no need to abstain from training on the day of blood collection.
  • Low sample volume:
    To perform the test, only a drop of blood with a volume of 25-75 µl is sufficient, which corresponds to a blood spot on filter paper with a diameter of 8-14 mm. This is extremely important in the case of newborns, individuals requiring constant laboratory monitoring or patients in severe condition.
  • Possibility of sample collection at home and by non-medical personnel:
    The ability to self-collect at home may be important for immunocompromised patients for whom a visit to a collection centre may present additional risks.
    DBS collection is a good solution for individuals with limited mobility.
    It facilitates conducting screening tests on large populations in conditions where access to specialized medical facilities is limited.
  • High stability of analytes:
    Drying blood on filter paper inhibits or even stops the rate of metabolic processes, allowing for longer stability of the tested compounds.
  • Low infectivity in transport and handling:
    Drying the material inactivates HIV and prevents transmission of HBV - only suspension in liquid may carry a risk of potential virus transmission, but only if there would be direct transmission of infected liquid into the bloodstream of the exposed person.
  • Easy and undemanding transport/storage:
    It is possible to transport and store a larger number of samples using the same space.
    The risk of damage or contamination of DBS samples is minimal.
    No special environmental conditions are required during transport and short-term storage of the samples.

Limitations in the use of dried blood spots:

Contraindications for the collecting test material in the form of DBS:

Milestones in the development of DBS-based research

Dried blood spot applications

Literature
The above advantages were already recognized in the 1960s in the screening of newborns for inborn metabolic disorders. Since then, extensive work has been underway to use and implement DBS in various diagnostic fields - from scientific and specialized research to its use in basic laboratory testing.
Masdiag Laboratory has developed and implemented a wide range of tests based on dried blood spot.
With the aim of sales dedicated to individual customers, the Precision Diagnostics brand https://diagnostykaprecyzyjna.pl has been created, allowing tests to be purchased with "your blood collection kit" attached.
You can order
our tests online at:
diagnostykaprecyzyjna.pl
Sklep diagnostykaprecyzyjna.pl
We offer our business clients the option to purchase dried blood spot tests through the platform https://partnerzy.masdiag.pl.
The key information about the cooperation schemes can be found in the COOPERATION tab.
List of dried blood spot methods:
Abbreviation Method
VITD_DBS Quantitative determination of vitamin D metabolites in DBS by LC-MS/MS
AA_DBS Quantitative determination of amino acid profile in DBS by LC-MS/MS technique
AC_DBS Quantitative determination of acylcarnitine profile in DBS by the LC-MS/MS technique
HCY_DBS Quantitative determination of homocysteine in DBS by LC-MS/MS technique
THC_DBS Quantitative determination of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in DBS by LC-MS/MS technique
PAS_DBS Semi-quantitative determination of psychoactive substances in DBS by LC-MS/MS technique
COV_DBS Quantitative determination of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in IgG class in DBS by ELISA technique
AEQ10_DBS Quantitative determination of vitamins A, E, and coenzyme Q10 in DBS by LC-MS/MS technique
BORRELIA_DBS Quantitative determination of antibodies against Borrelia spirochetes in the IgM and IgG class in DBS by ELISA">
TSH_DBS Quantitative determination of thyrotropin (TSH) in DBS by CLIA technique
fT4_DBS Quantitative determination of free thyroxine (fT4) in DBS by CLIA technique
CBD_DBS Quantitative determination of CBD, THC, and their metabolites in DBS by LC-MS/MS technique
Watch the video on how to collect a sample: