Annals of Clinical Biochemistry > Volume 45, Number 5 > Pp. 513-514

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Platelet contamination causes large variation as well as overestimation of mitochondrial DNA content of peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Michiyo Urata, Yui Koga-Wada, Yuzo Kayamori and Dongchon Kang

Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 3-1-1 Maidashi Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan

Corresponding author: Dr Kang. Email: kang{at}mailserver.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp

Background: Alterations in the copy number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) play a role in the pathogenesis of mitochondrial diseases and other many common diseases. Recently, the copy number of leukocyte mtDNA has been considered to serve as a biomarker to monitor or chase such diseases. Therefore, reproducible mtDNA measurement is required.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were prepared by a density-based method. The mtDNA/cell was measured by quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction.

Results: The degree of platelet contamination varied to a large extent among preparations. The mtDNA copy numbers per mononuclear cell were 269 ± 51 and 146 ± 14 in the samples before and after the platelet depletion, respectively.

Conclusion: A density-based mononuclear cell preparation causes heavy platelet contamination. The platelet depletion from a sample is particularly important for comparing the mtDNA contents between different dates or between different patients.

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