Blood is collected in one 10 mL natrium-heparin tube and one 10mL EDTA-plasma tube. Tubes are inverted (to mix blood and anticoagulant) 8-10 times. Tubes are rested for 15 minutes at room temperature prior to centrifugation at 1500 x G for 15 minutes. After centrifugation, the material in each of the tubes is aliquoted as follows: plasma (3 1.6- to 1.8-mL aliquots), buffy coat (1 aliquot), and red blood cells (1 aliquot).
The aliquots are frozen in -25° C within an hour.
The samples are transported to the biobank within one week in specific transport boxes with the temperature continuously monitored using temperature probes. At the biobank they are kept in -80° C.
