2022 · Environmental monitoring and assessment · open access
Mercury biomonitoring in German adults using volumetric absorptive microsampling
Koutsimpani-Wagner et al.
The finding, in our words
Capillary VAMS combined with direct mercury analysis demonstrated strong correlation with venous blood mercury concentrations in adult volunteers, with acceptable accuracy and precision above 1.0 µg/l. Storage in pre-cleaned glass vials following two hours of desiccator drying maintained analyte stability for at least four weeks.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
This study validated a method for measuring the alcohol biomarker phosphatidylethanol using two volumetric absorptive microsampling devices, finding that the Mitra device met all validation criteria and agreed with venous sampling. The Capitainer device was deemed suitable but showed reduced accuracy at higher concentrations, with a small proportional negative bias compared to venous results.
Capillary samples collected using dried blood spots and Mitra microsamplers showed strong agreement with venous plasma for quantifying IgG antibodies against most vaccine-preventable diseases. Sensitivity was high for the majority of pathogens, though the study noted that antibody stability declined at room temperature over time, favouring cold storage for longer durations.
In matched clinical samples from rheumatoid arthritis, VAMS and DBS showed strong agreement for methotrexate polyglutamates (slopes 0.95-1.07; bias within -4.21% to 0.36%; SRCC ≥ 0.969), with up to 100% of total MTXPG results within ±20% limits; capillary microsampling agreed closely with whole blood but differed from red blood cells, indicating matrix-specific differences that must be accounted for when interpreting against RBC-based reference values.
The study found very strong correlation between venous blood collection and capillary VAMS using Mitra devices for detecting SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies, with samples remaining stable at room temperature for several months. This enables reliable at-home, patient-centric serological testing for large-scale community surveillance and vaccine studies.
A validated LC-MS/MS method for everolimus using Mitra and Capitainer devices found excellent agreement between capillary microsamples and venous whole blood in 33 adult transplant recipients. The results showed high accuracy and negligible haematocrit effects, supporting the use of microsampling for decentralised therapeutic drug monitoring.