2023 · The Science of the total environment · paywalled
Hemoglobin normalization outperforms other methods for standardizing dried blood spot metabolomics: A comparative study
Jain et al.
The finding, in our words
This comparative study of 21 adults and 18 neonates found that haemoglobin normalisation most effectively reduces variation in dried blood spot metabolomics, outperforming four alternative methods across 13 performance criteria. The validation that specific gravity can surrogate haemoglobin provides a practical improvement for metabolic analyses from blood samples, strengthening the reliability of decentralised screening and biomonitoring.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
Dried blood spot specimens collected by finger prick at home are widely used for monitoring inherited metabolic disorders, with modern mass spectrometry enabling sensitive and timely analysis. Understanding pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical variables is crucial for reliable decentralised diagnostics and prompt therapy adjustment.
Moat et al., International journal of neonatal screening · source ↗
The study validated an LC-MS/MS method for eight antiepileptic drugs and two metabolites in dried blood spot and VAMS formats, with satisfactory analytical performance and stability, and was the first to include the oxcarbazepine metabolite DHCB. In 80 paired patient samples, microsampling concentrations showed promising correlation with plasma, supporting decentralised therapeutic drug monitoring of antiepileptic treatment.
Cobo-Golpe et al., Journal of analytical toxicology · source ↗
The authors developed matrix-matched dried blood spot quality control materials for newborn screening of inborn errors of metabolism and showed acceptable recovery, homogeneity and short-term stability at 4 °C, enabling laboratories to monitor analytical performance and improve proficiency in decentralised screening programmes.
A 2025 review maps 28 microsampling devices, from dried spots and volumetric absorptive tips to upper-arm liquid capillary collectors, and names what a laboratory must control before their results are used: the haematocrit effect in non-volumetric dried samples, interstitial fluid from finger milking, volume, haemolysis and transport stability. Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic ask for the same two things, a device the patient can use safely and a sample fit for the test.
Microsampling enables less invasive, patient-centric self-collection of capillary blood for remote monitoring of metabolites and lipids, overcoming conventional venipuncture constraints. Recent device innovations address dried blood spot limitations, particularly haematocrit and volume variations, expanding decentralised applications in population health, drug discovery and multi-omics research.