A Toolkit for Monitoring Immunoglobulin G Levels from Dried Blood Spots of Patients with Primary Immunodeficiencies

Autor: Hanna Haberstroh, Aleksandra Hirsch, Sigune Goldacker, Norbert Zessack, Klaus Warnatz, Bodo Grimbacher, Ulrich Salzer
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Clinical Immunology.
ISSN: 1573-2592
0271-9142
Popis: Purpose This study assessed whether measuring immunoglobulin G (IgG) from dried blood spots (DBSs) using nephelometry is a suitable remote monitoring method for patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PID). Methods Patients receiving immunoglobulin replacement therapy for PID were included in this non-interventional single-arm study (DRKS-ID: DRKS00020522) conducted in Germany from December 4, 2019, to December 22, 2020. Three blood samples, two capillary DBSs (one mail-transferred and the other direct-transferred to the laboratory), and one intravenous were collected from each patient. IgG levels were determined using nephelometry. IgG levels were summarized descriptively, and significant differences were assessed using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests. Correlation and agreement between IgG levels were assessed using Spearman correlation and Bland–Altman analyses, respectively. Results Among 135 included patients, IgG levels measured from DBS samples were lower than those measured in serum (p r = 0.94–0.95). Although there was a bias for higher levels of IgG in serum than in DBS samples, most samples were within the 95% interval of agreement. There was a high degree of correlation between IgG levels measured in direct- and mail-transferred DBS samples (r = 0.96) with no bias based on the shipment process and most samples within the 95% interval of agreement. Conclusion Monitoring IgG levels from DBS samples is a suitable alternative to the standard method, and results are not substantially affected by mailing DBS cards.
Databáze: OpenAIRE