Serum Vs Plasma
Blood is a fluid connective tissue that transports oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic wastes throughout the body. It also plays an important role in regulating the body’s temperature and pH levels.
Blood is composed of red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), plasma, and serum. Serum comprises electrolytes, proteins, hormones, antigens, and antibodies.
Definition
Serum vs plasma is two of the most commonly used matrices in biological and clinical studies. They are not interchangeable due to the difference in biochemical processes that occur after blood is collected.
Plasma is a straw-colored liquid that makes up about 55% of the blood volume. It is 90% water and contains proteins, electrolytes, antibodies, nutrients, waste products, and other molecules.
It also contains many enzymes and salts that help transport various nutrient materials throughout the body. It has also been shown to contain proteins that are able to fight infections and diseases.
A large part of blood is liquid, and it is this fluid that contains clotting factors and cells. The coagulating process occurs when anticoagulants are added to whole blood and then it is centrifuged.
Purity
The purity of serum is critical, as it plays an important role in the physiology of blood and the body. Serum contains 92% water, 7% proteins, 1% fat, hormones, exosomes, cell-free DNAs, and other components.
To investigate the purity of EVs, we investigated the yield and purity of plasma sEVs obtained by SEC and Ultracentrifugation (UC) using a commercially available original SEC column (iZON Science, Oxford, UK). Figure 2 compares sEV content (as determined by sEV markers) in rat plasma samples isolated by SEC and UC.
To determine the efficacy of SEC to separate EVs from serum proteins, we collected 24 eluent fractions and detected concentrations of particles and proteins in each fraction by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) and BCA protein assay. The results showed that EV particles were concentrated in 8-13 fractions and proteins were distributed in 14-24 fractions (Figure 1B).
Storage
Serum is the fluid part of blood that contains proteins, electrolytes, antibodies, antigens, and hormones. It helps in the clotting of blood and is also a medium for the transport of excretory metabolites and materials from the cells of the body.
Serum can be stored for up to a year at 2-6 degrees centigrade, but frozen plasma can be kept for even longer. Alternatively, serum can be separated from blood using the aid of a centrifuge.
A number of different tube types are available for the collection and separation of serum or plasma. The majority of tubes contain no additives and are compatible with most ELISA kits. However, some manufacturers recommend the addition of an acid citrate dextrose (ACD) and sodium citrate (Citrate) to the sample to enhance stainability during storage and improve the accuracy of the ELISA results. This may also reduce the influence of platelet-associated BDNF in the sample and thereby increase the sensitivity of the measurement.
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Preparation
Blood is a fluid connective tissue that transports necessary nutrients, oxygen, and metabolic wastes throughout the body. It also has a role in regulating the body’s temperature and pH levels.
Serum is a liquid fraction of whole blood that contains the protein albumin and globulin. It is usually collected from clotted blood that has not been mixed with an anticoagulant (a chemical that prevents the clotting of blood).
Plasma is a liquid fraction of whole blood that is collected from the blood that has been allowed to clot. It is also collected from the blood that has been treated with an anticoagulant to prevent the clotting of blood.
We used metabolomics to investigate differences in metabolite signatures among serum and plasma samples collected using acid citrate dextrose (ACD), sodium citrate (Citrate), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), fluoride, and heparin anticoagulants. We found that heparin plasma performed closest to serum with only three metabolites showing significant differences. However, ACD plasma was different from serum largely due to interfering peaks in the NMR spectra that originate from the anticoagulants themselves.