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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Photon transmission tomography techniques for screening organs in biological specimen banking.

Biological specimen banking methodology dictates that when a number of specimens of a particular type are available then the selected specimen be representative of the population in question. It is apparent though that this sorting process may present a formidable task which can be facilitated by employing tomographic transmission techniques using photons. Thus it is possible to discriminate between and discern abnormalities in specimens by obtaining the distribution of the photon linear attenuation coefficient, a function of atomic number and physical density, in sections through the specimen whilst maintaining its integrity. Fresh and freeze-dried specimens of porcine kidney were initially examined under differing temperature conditions using a single point photon transmission method, which was not successful due to the heterogeneity of the tissues. Whereas photon transmission tomography is shown to be well suited in testing for homogeneity, highlights the importance of scanning before cryogenic treatment and provides the possibility of monitoring tissue status over storage period by observing small changes in linear attenuation coefficient.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1993

Biological specimen bank for smelter workers.

The biological specimen bank was initiated by the department of Environmental Medicine and the department of Medicine at the University of Umeå in 1975. The aims of the bank are to collect information on trace elements in human organs. Special attention is focused on the influence of occupational exposure. Tissue samples are taken from deceased workers from a copper and lead smelter in northern Sweden. Control specimens have been collected from deceased normal individuals from four control areas. Lung, liver and kidney samples are collected with quartz instruments and stored in quartz ampoules to avoid contamination. Other samples, e.g. bone, brain, fat, hair, heart muscle, nails, skin and stomach are taken with common autopsy instruments and stored in acid-washed polyethene vessels. The samples are stored at -20 degrees C. The elements Sb, As, Cd, Cr, Co, La and Se are analyzed by neutron activation analysis, Pb and Zn by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The findings over time can be related to a number of factors: normal values in tissues, airborne exposure and causes of death. Special attention is paid variation over time, reevaluation of threshold limit values and risk assessment.

Autopsy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Biological specimen banks: epidemiological tools and scientific enterprises].

In the last twenty years many large epidemiological studies have made efforts to collect material for biological specimen banks. These banks contain samples collected for short or long-term cryopreservation at low (e.g. -70 degrees C) or very low (-192 degrees C). This report describes general guidelines and methodological issues to take into consideration in designing and developing a biological specimen bank and is based on experience of three large scale studies. The author describes quality, quantity, methods to collect samples, and condition of cryopreservation that ensure both testing of scientific hypotheses and integrity of the stored samples. Feasibility and long-term storage effect studies should always be part of the design and the basic organization of a biological specimen bank. All operative choices a researcher makes in setting up a biological specimen bank have a direct impact on the future use of the biological samples and should be carefully considered.

Biological Specimen Banks↗
PubMed2003

[What are the requirements for establishing a biological specimen bank?].

Establishing of a biological bank requires consideration. Optimal location of the bank for handling of the samples and quick response to alarms are essential. Decisions about freezer system (electrical or liquid nitrogen container), how to store the biological material (tubes or straws) as well as proper labelling of the samples are important. Quality control must be considered to monitor possible degradation over time.

Biological Specimen Banks↗
PubMed1999

Biological specimen banks in neonatal screening.

The Danish neonatal screening program analyses dried blood spot samples (DBSS) from close to 70,000 newborns annually from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Since 1982, all DBSS have been stored in a biological specimen bank at -20 degrees C as a routine procedure after analysis. Before sampling, parents are given written information about the screening tests, the biobank and its use, and can choose to opt out. Since 1993 the biobank has been regulated by specific legislation, and thus assumes a unique position among biological specimen banks. Its purposes are: (i) diagnosis and treatment of diseases screened for, including repeat testing, quality assurance and group statistics; (ii) other diagnostic uses during infancy; and (iii) research projects. The stored samples have been used successfully to diagnose a range of genetic diseases using biochemical and molecular genetic assays, and to diagnose congenital CMV and toxoplasmosis infections using assays for specific IgM antibodies and pathogen nucleic acids. The unbiased nature and comprehensive coverage of the samples in the biobank make them attractive for research purposes. Our studies have focused on the epidemiology of genetic disease alleles and other molecular disease markers and on retrospective screening projects, which have allowed rapid appraisal of the performance of novel screening modalities, saving years of prospective screening trials. Storage of neonatal screening samples is thus beneficial not only to the individual testees, but also to future generations of newborns.

Biological Specimen Banks↗
PubMed1992

[The biological specimen bank: methodological and organizational problems].

Little experience is available to solve methodological and organizational problems when setting up a biological specimen bank as a support to prospective studies on chronic diseases. Sample aliquots preparation, processing procedures and storage system are discussed in the present paper. Problems related to the quality of biological material stored, as to the influence of the very low temperature freezing physico-chemical effects, are discussed also in the appendix.

Blood Preservation↗
PubMed1993

Biological specimen banking in Arctic research: an Alaska perspective.

The cryogenic archival of biological specimens for retrospective analysis is of significant value for present and future research on population genetics, pathology, systematics, toxicology and environmental monitoring. This realization is emphasized by the increasing support of this activity by various government agencies, institutions and international groups. The international Arctic community is no exception. Canada has been conducting such activities in association with environmental monitoring programs for many years. Similar efforts appear to be underway in other polar nations. From the perspective of the United States Arctic, the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project (AMMTAP) was the earliest organized effort to develop an environmental specimen bank specifically designed for longterm archival of biological specimens under cryogenic conditions. The AMMTAP emphasizes use of standardized rigorous sampling and archival protocols, procedures that minimize contamination of samples during collection and maintaining a detailed record of sample history. The development of this specimen bank, recent activities of this project and other cryogenic specimen banks being developed in Alaska are described.

Alaska↗
PubMed1992

[Prospective studies based on biological specimen banks: a new epidemiological generation].

A new generation of studies is emerging from the recent technical development in the epidemiology of chronic diseases. Prospective investigations on large number of individuals using a biological specimen bank as a support have been designed recently in the major European and North-American research center in epidemiology. The efficiency of this design may guarantee sound information on a number of etiological questions regarding modifiable environmental factors (such as nutrition) and tumours and cardiovascular diseases. Studies on women appear the most efficient use of this design in cardiovascular epidemiology, especially for coronary heart disease. The design, the objectives and the rationale of a study on the etiology of cardiovascular disease in Italian women are described in the present paper. The Progetto ATENA and the women-dedicated section of the Progetto Controllo Comunitario Integrato nel Distretto Sanitario di Sezze are the two components of the investigation.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1993

Biological environmental specimen banking in Slovakia.

Biological environmental specimens, including samples of human tissues, were stored for 5-10 years after solubilizing by mineralization in boiling nitric acid. The sampling procedure, transport treatment and storing was standardized. Documentation identifying the sample and its origin were used. Data on toxic metals in dust-fall, in the individual components of the environment as soil, air, ground and surface water, plants, animals, food and human tissues (liver, kidney, lung, brain, heart and plasma) are reported for the 6 most heavily contaminated regions of Slovakia. In some areas xenobiotics in the environment seriously affected the flora and fauna, including man. Banking of specimens has been stressed as the necessity for future analyses.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Quality control program for storage of biologically banked blood specimens in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study.

A biological bank has been developed to extend the biochemical and molecular research base for a prospective study on diet and cancer in the city of Malmo, Sweden. The study entered individuals 45-69 years of age, of which 30,382 individuals (45%) participated. Each individual entering the bank has stored samples of viable mononuclear leukocytes (MNLs; -140 degrees C) and granulocytes (GRANs; -80 degrees C) or buffy coats (-140 degrees C), erythrocytes (-80 degrees C), and plasma/serum (-80 degrees C). The bioassays developed to monitor the quality of storage conditions were: (a) viability and growth response to phytohemagglutinin for MNLs; (b) DNA strand breakage for GRANs; (c) NAD content for erythrocytes; and (d) thiol status for plasma/serum. The yield, purity, and storage conditions were all quality controlled, and the samples were determined to be of high standard after 137-190 weeks of storage. No differences in yield and purity were found in samples banked by different laboratory technicians. Growth responses of MNLs were severely reduced (90%) after 40 weeks of storage, which justified switching from the storage of purified MNLs and GRANs to the more cost-effective banking of buffy coats. We conclude that the quality of the banked material, based on the biochemical analysis done, indicate that the storage conditions are optimal at least up to 3.5 years, except for the growth response of MNLs.

Blood Banks↗
PubMed1997

Biological and environmental specimen banking at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Scientific programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encompass diverse public health interests. These programs include investigations of newly emerging infectious diseases, assessments of chronic disease risk factors, and evaluations of environmental health hazards. Since the early 1960s, CDC has maintained a specimen bank to retain aliquots of biological specimens collected from a variety of epidemiologic investigations as well as from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). CDC's National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also maintains a repository of environmental materials from its investigations. To extend its repository capabilities more effectively, CDC has begun developing a new facility that, when finished, will meet CDC's storage needs for both biological and environmental specimens. A highly complex but very flexible information management system for this project, enabling the storage of data related to studies for which these specimens were originally collected, has already been completed. Proper specimen collection, archiving, and short- or long-term storage of specimens for environmental health-related analyses is critical for the work of the staff of the Division of Environmental Health Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, who perform a variety of biochemical analyses on biological specimens, including quantitation of dioxins, furans, coplanar PCBs, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, metabolites, essential and toxic trace elements, vitamins, and lipids, and also conduct genetic screening. Information regarding these analytes is an essential part of the CDC Repository Database.

Biological Specimen Banks↗
PubMed2005

The Harvard case of Xu Xiping: exploitation of the people, scientific advance, or genetic theft?

A unique history and make-up of a population may make it an attractive research target for population geneticists and pharmaco-genomic investors. The promise of pharmaceutical profits and advances in medical knowledge attracted Harvard researchers and the company Millennium Pharmaceuticals to remote areas in Anhui Province, Central China, leading to international diplomatic disagreements about issues such as the ownership of genetic material and informed consent (IC). This article discusses the role of genomics and genetic sampling in China, the way it is related to population policies (the new eugenics), the national importance of genetic materials and the conflicts it led to between the Chinese government and Harvard University. Here many consider the Xu Xiping case as textbook example of ruthless Western exploitation of development countries, illustrating the cold rationality of science in the process of globalisation. Ten perspectives on this case show that this view is simplistic and contributes little to an understanding of bioethical issues important to the population actually donating the samples. Viewing the Xu Xiping case as the nexus of the intertwinement of international, transnational, national, and local interest groups shows how different interest groups make use of different units of analysis. It also clarifies why the same practice of genetic sampling continues under a different regime, and why the discussion about genetic sampling has shifted from a concern with health care of the poor to an issue of international exploitation, terrorism and development.

Biological Specimen Banks↗
PubMed1993

The Malmö biological bank.

Currently there are no available biological markers that have been satisfactorily validated clinically as 'intermediate end-points' for evaluation of the impact of diet on cancer. Therefore, there is high scientific value in banking biological specimens for future use in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study. The banking procedures we have developed are adequate for assessing factors that estimate dietary intake (e.g. vitamins, lipids or micronutrients) as well as non-dietary variables (e.g. immunologic and ecogenetic factors of biologically effective doses of xenobiotic exposures) that may regulate the biological expression of dietary variables. This approach is further justified by state-of-the-art technology that includes assessment of the concept of gene-environment interactions. Purified viable mononuclear leucocytes, granulocytes, erythrocytes, plasma and serum are being stored from each individual entering the study under the guidelines of a strict quality control programme. Storage of tumour/normal tissues from incident cancer cases are also being stored and quality controlled. It is hoped that these banking procedures will encourage a high activity in biomarker development in the future.

Algorithms↗