Effect of delayed serum separation and storage temperature on serum glucose concentration in horse, dog, alpaca, and sturgeon.
Abstract: Although delays between blood sample collection and analysis are common in veterinary medicine, the effect of prolonged serum-clot contact time on serum glucose concentration is not well established and species differences have not been elucidated. Objective: The objective was to investigate the effect of storage time and temperature on serum glucose concentration in stored whole blood samples from horse, dog, alpaca, and sturgeon. Methods: Whole blood specimens were divided into 7 no-additive tubes and serum was separated from one sample within one hour, serving as the reference sample. The remaining samples were stored at 4°C and 25°C, then centrifuged and serum glucose measured by automated analysis at 2, 4, and 8 hours postcollection. Glucose concentrations were compared using linear mixed models. Results: The decline in serum glucose concentration for all samples stored at 4°C was not statistically significant, except for the 8-hour samples from sturgeon and dog. At 25°C, serum glucose concentration was comparable to reference values at 2 hours in sturgeon and alpaca, but significantly lower at 4 and 8 hours in those species, and at all time points in equine and canine specimens, being most prominent after 8 hours of storage in canine specimens. Conclusions: Storage at 4°C limits serum glucose decline for at least 4 hours in all species tested and up to 8 hours in specimens of horse and alpaca. At 25°C, serum-clot contact time should not exceed 1 hour in equine and canine samples, and 2 hours in specimens from alpaca and sturgeon.
© 2014 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.
Publication Date: 2014-12-04 PubMed ID: 25476149DOI: 10.1111/vcp.12217Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research investigates the impact on serum glucose levels in blood samples from horses, dogs, alpacas, and sturgeons when there are delays or differences in storage conditions between the sample collection and analysis.
Objective and Methods
- The main objective of the research was to understand the effect of storage time and temperature on serum glucose concentration in stored whole blood samples from horse, dog, alpaca, and sturgeon. This arises due to common delays between blood sample collection and analysis in veterinary medicine.
- Whole blood specimens from the four species were divided into separate categories. One sample was isolated and the serum separated from the rest within one hour, which was used as the reference sample.
- The remaining blood samples were stored at two temperatures – 4°C and 25°C. After 2, 4, and 8 hours post-collection, the samples were centrifuged, and the serum glucose level was measured using automated analysis.
- Linear mixed models were used to compare the glucose concentrations between different samples.
Results and Findings
- The researchers found that the decline in serum glucose concentration for all samples stored at 4°C was not statistically significant. The only exception was found in the 8-hour samples from the dog and sturgeon, where the glucose concentration dropped significantly.
- At 25°C, serum glucose concentration was relatively stable at the 2-hour mark for sturgeon and alpaca, but a noticeable fall was observed at 4 and 8 hours for these species. Horse and dog specimens showed a significant drop in glucose concentration at all time points, with the most drastic decline being observed after 8 hours in dog samples.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that storage at 4°C limits the decline in serum glucose levels for at least 4 hours in all tested species and up to 8 hours in horse and alpaca samples.
- At a storage temperature of 25°C, the serum-clot contact time should not exceed 1 hour for horse and dog samples and 2 hours for specimens from alpaca and sturgeon.
- These findings suggest the need for stricter control of storage conditions to ensure sample integrity for accurate glucose measurement in veterinary medicine.
Cite This Article
APA
Collicutt NB, Garner B, Berghaus RD, Camus MS, Hart K.
(2014).
Effect of delayed serum separation and storage temperature on serum glucose concentration in horse, dog, alpaca, and sturgeon.
Vet Clin Pathol, 44(1), 120-127.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vcp.12217 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Blood Glucose / analysis
- Camelids, New World
- Centrifugation / veterinary
- Chordata
- Dogs
- Hematologic Tests / veterinary
- Horses
- Reference Values
- Specimen Handling / veterinary
- Temperature
- Time Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Yi KC, Heseltine JC, Jeffery ND, Cook AK, Nabity MB. Effect of withholding food versus feeding on creatinine, symmetric dimethylarginine, cholesterol, triglycerides, and other biochemical analytes in 100 healthy dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Mar;37(2):626-634.
- Jeffery U, Jeffery ND, Creevy KE, Page R, Simpson MJ. Variation in biochemistry test results between annual wellness visits in apparently healthy Golden Retrievers. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Mar;35(2):912-924.
- Kunze PE, Perrault JR, Chang YM, Manire CA, Clark S, Stacy NI. Pre-/analytical factors affecting whole blood and plasma glucose concentrations in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). PLoS One 2020;15(3):e0229800.
- Wolfe M, Schlein L, Henry J, McGrath S. Glucose measurement in cerebrospinal fluid compared to peripheral blood in dogs with central nervous system disease. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1706896.
- Garcia MR, Mann N, Perelló MH, Silic V, Sparks T, Titmarsh H. Impact of haematocrit on the accuracy of spot blood glucose measurements in dogs using two veterinary hand-held glucometers. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1694081.
- Prescott J, Keyser AJ, Litwin P, Dunbar MD, McClelland R, Ruple A, Ernst H, Butler BL, Kauffman M, Avery A, Harrison BR, Partida-Aguilar M, McCoy BM, Slikas E, Greenier AK, Muller E, Algavi YM, Bamberger T, Creevy KE, Borenstein E, Snyder-Mackler N, Promislow DEL. Rationale and design of the Dog Aging Project precision cohort: a multi-omic resource for longitudinal research in geroscience. Geroscience 2025 Aug;47(4):5725-5748.
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