Measurement of troponin-T in dried blood spots and dried plasma spots: A pilot study

Abstract

Troponin-T (TnT) is a biomarker for cardiac insult, but its significance as a cardiac biomarker in neonates is unclear. A method for measuring TnT in dried blood spots (DBS), which are used worldwide for neonatal screening, will enable access to a very large potential database. We tested concentrations of TnT in dried blood and dried plasma and compared results to the TnT concentrations in the original fresh blood. Troponin results in dried blood were significantly changed and did not allow sufficient test resolution. In contrast, troponin concentrations in dried plasma correlated well to those of all original samples tested. Our preliminary results suggest that TnT can accurately be measured in dried plasma, but TnT concentrations in dried blood are detectable only if troponin values are significantly elevated.