URINE AND FECAL SAMPLE COLLECTION ON FILTER-PAPER FOR OVARIAN HORMONEEVALUATIONS

A practical method for collecting, storing, and transporting liquid bi ological samples in a dry state for subsequent hormone metabolite anal yses is presented. This method employs the use of ordinary filter pape r strips that imbibe liquid samples. Samples taken up by the filter pa per were allowed to dry and were retained at ambient conditions in cap ped vials for up to 5 years prior to analysis. Examples presented in t he present report include urine samples from human and nonhuman primat es as well as solubilized fecal samples from nonhuman primates. Hormon e metabolite analysis of the paper-stored samples provided data that w ere comparable to the results obtained from analyses of the original l iquid samples. One year of storage had no effect on hormone concentrat ion. Five years of storage resulted in concentrations that were quanti tatively less but qualitatively similar to the concentrations obtained by direct analysis of the initial samples. These data demonstrate the versatility and reliability of paper as a matrix for biological sampl es that may provide a more convenient approach for collecting and tran sporting samples collected in the field. (c) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.