I am looking to investigate miRNAs to compare expression between patients and healthy controls. The patients are likely to have abnormal lymphocyte counts. Can anyone advise on the preferred starting sample type for miRNA studies? Would the fact that the patients would have abnormal lymphocyte counts make whole blood (collected in Paxgene tubes) a less attractive option? I have seen papers comparing miRNA expression in serum and plasma but not whole blood and either serum or plasma.
Thanks in advance.
Dear Mildred
If you want to look at the circulating miRNAs and compare them between patients and healthy controls, you need to use plasma or serum, and NOT whole blood. In our experience plasma is much better than serum. We collected whole blood in EDTA tubes and processed them. Circulating miRNAs is present in very low amounts as compared to the miRNAs from leucocytes and RBC, and if you try to analyse whole blood the cellular miRNAs will overshadow the circulating miRNA profile (which are very different!)
On the other hand if you are more interested in looking at the miRNA profile of blood cells then it makes sense to use whole blood.
Cheers
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