Effect of plasma and serum storage conditions on circulating microRNA levels

Over the past decade, circulating small non-coding ribonucleic acid molecules (microRNAs) have demonstrated their potential as minimally invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of various diseases. Standardization of preanalytical and analytical factors, including collection, processing and storage of biosamples, plays a significant role in the reliability and reproducibility of circulating microRNA quantification. To date, there is no consensus regarding the data normalization used in the analysis of circulating microRNA expression. The review aim is to consider modern original papers on various storage conditions of biobanked plasma and serum samples with subsequent isolation of circulating microRNAs for analysis.