Blood storage at 4°C-factors involved in DNA yield and quality

Abstract

Background: Whole blood provides one of the most common sources of both high-quality DNA and high-quantity DNA for molecular biological purposes. Typically, blood storage at 4°C is short term, which ranges from a few days to a few weeks. However, long-term storage usually involves blood being frozen, with a resultant loss in DNA yield. The authors examined the effects of long-term storage at 4°C. Methods: Duplicate blood samples were collected from 301 participants (aged 20-98 years) enrolled as part of ongoing studies. Samples were stored at 4°C for between 11 days and 922 days, and DNA was subsequently extracted using a phenol/chloroform procedure. Results: A negative correlation of the nu..