Brown Lauren G, Haack Amanda J, Kennedy Dakota S, Adams Karen N, Stolarczuk Jennifer E, Takezawa Meg G, Berthier Erwin, Thongpang Sanitta, Lim Fang Yun, Chaussabel Damien, Garand Mathieu, Theberge Ashleigh B
Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
Front Digit Health. 2022 Aug 9;4:903153. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.903153. eCollection 2022.
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 RNA, a technology that allows for self-blood sampling and RNA stabilization remotely. RNA 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 RNA. In this study, we investigated the robustness of our RNA 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 ( = 12 samples) ranged from 6.9-8.7 with 9 out of 12 samples reporting RINs ≥7.0. Overall, our pilot data suggest that RNA 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 RNA.
将全血样本采集范围从传统的静脉穿刺诊所扩展到转录组分析，将为远程免疫研究和远程医疗开辟新的领域。确定暴露于高温环境（>30°C）下的血液样本中RNA的稳定性，对于在高温环境中开展家庭采样（例如，研究对温暖地区或夏季发生的自然灾害的生理反应）至关重要。最近，我们开发了一种名为RNA的技术，该技术允许远程进行自我采血和RNA稳定化处理。RNA由一个基于柳叶刀的采血装置Tasso-SST™组成，它可从上臂采集多达0.5毫升的血液，以及一个定制的含有RNA的稳定化转移管。在本研究中，我们通过在卡塔尔多哈进行的两项小型试点研究（参与者数量=8）以及2021年夏季在美国西部和中南部进行的研究，调查了我们的RNA试剂盒在高温环境中的耐用性，其中美国部分地区在夏季遭遇了异常高温的热浪（参与者数量=11）。从多哈参与者采集的样本，由于在空调区域和极端炎热环境（短暂温度峰值期间外部温度高达41°C）之间来回移动，经历了快速的外部温度波动。在美国的试点研究中，各地区的室外高温有所不同（介于25°C和43.4°C之间）。卡塔尔多哈组所有返回RNA完整性数值（RIN）的样本，其RIN≥7.0，这是下游转录组学分析的典型完整性阈值。美国西部和中南部样本（n = 12个样本）的RIN值范围为6.9 - 8.7，12个样本中有9个报告RIN≥7.0。总体而言，我们的试点数据表明，RNA可用于一些温度较高的地区，为远程医疗、全球健康和扩展临床研究等关键应用的广泛转录组分析开辟了新的地理领域。包括我们正在卡塔尔、美国和泰国开展的工作在内的进一步研究，将继续测试RNA的耐用性。
