Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33819446›Full record

ArticleJournal of immunological methods2021

Evaluation of natural killer cell assay performance on shipped blood specimens.

Troy D Querec, Joseph Abrams, Jennifer J Stewart, Zachary Barnes, Elizabeth Balbin, Nancy Klimas, Mary Ann Fletcher, Lynette Brown, Jeanne Bertolli, Elizabeth R Unger

Open access · greenAbstract readComparative StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of immunological methods, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Cold Chain Delivery in Cell Therapies.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Troy D QuerecChronic Viral Diseases Branch, DHCPP/NCEZID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America. Electronic address: hep0@cdc.gov.
Joseph AbramsChronic Viral Diseases Branch, DHCPP/NCEZID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
Jennifer J StewartFlow Contract Site Laboratory, Bothell, WA, United States of America.
Zachary BarnesMiami VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami, FL, United States of America.
Elizabeth BalbinMiami VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami, FL, United States of America; Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, United States of America.
Nancy KlimasMiami VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami, FL, United States of America; Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, United States of America.
Mary Ann FletcherNova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, United States of America.
Lynette BrownFlow Contract Site Laboratory, Bothell, WA, United States of America.
Jeanne BertolliChronic Viral Diseases Branch, DHCPP/NCEZID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
Elizabeth R UngerChronic Viral Diseases Branch, DHCPP/NCEZID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · USMiami VA Healthcare System · USNational Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases · USNova Southeastern University · US

Funding

Intramural CDC HHS CC999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Documenting the importance of NK cell function as a biomarker for diseases and physiologic conditions including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), will require assays amenable to clinical implementation and standardization. Research studies typically perform NK functional assays on the day of sample collection. This pilot study was conducted to compare assay formats and specimen processing to identify those that are most tolerant of conditions required for shipping and amenable to standardization as shown by inter-assay and inter-laboratory correlation of results. We compared performance within and between assays that measure NK cell function using direct cytotoxicity [chromium-51 release (CRCA) or fluorescence (Flow Cytometry Cytotoxicity Assay, FCCA)] or an indirect surrogate marker (CD107a surface expression)]. Additional variables for within/between assay comparisons included time of testing (same day as specimen collection or next day within 24 h), specimen types [whole blood or isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)], and processing method (fresh or cryopreserved). Statistical measures included number of samples tested in assay conditions (n), medians (x͂), interquartile range (IQR), Pearson correlation coefficient (R

Indexed as

Blood Specimen CollectionCryopreservationCytotoxicity, ImmunologicTransportationBiomarkersCase-Control StudiesChromiumFlow CytometryHumansImmunophenotypingK562 CellsKiller Cells, NaturalLeukocytes, MononuclearLysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1PhenotypePilot ProjectsBiomarkersChromiumLysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1Flow cytometryImmunophenotypingNatural killer cellSample shipping

Identifiers

PMID33819446
PMCPMC11907886
OpenAlexW3152230610

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.