PROCESS FOR STABILISING OSTEOCALCIN IN HUMAN SERUM OR PLASMA SAMPLES FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING OSTEOCALCIN CONTENT, AND INSTRUMENTS AND SAMPLE VESSELS FOR THE SAID PROCESS

摘要

PCT No. PCT/EP94/03962 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 26, 1996 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 26, 1996 PCT Filed Nov. 29, 1994 PCT Pub. No. WO95/14933 PCT Pub. Date Jun. 1, 1995Progressive degradation of the osteocalcin present in the blood, serum or plasma samples obtained from a patient is observed in such samples and leads to falsification of the osteocalcin values obtained in a subsequent determination. It has been found that this osteocalcin degradation can be prevented by adding an amount of divalent metal ions, in particularly calcium ions, sufficient to prevent osteocalcin degradation to the sample immediately after it has been obtained or while it is being obtained.