A novel mini-invasive finger-prick protocol for preparing blood micro-samples for morphological analysis of human erythrocytes by scanning electron microscopy

Paola Petrone; Mariadonata Fortunato; Eugenio Paccagnini; Mariangela Gentile; Claudio De Felice; Pietro Lupetti

doi:10.1016/j.tice.2023.102189

A novel mini-invasive finger-prick protocol for preparing blood micro-samples for morphological analysis of human erythrocytes by scanning electron microscopy

Tissue Cell. 2023 Oct:84:102189. doi: 10.1016/j.tice.2023.102189. Epub 2023 Jul 29.

Authors

Paola Petrone¹, Mariadonata Fortunato², Eugenio Paccagnini², Mariangela Gentile², Claudio De Felice³, Pietro Lupetti²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. Electronic address: paolapetrone94@gmail.com.
² Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
³ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese (AOUS), Siena, Italy.

PMID: 37549512
DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2023.102189

Abstract

Here we describe the development and optimization of a new protocol for the preparation and surface imaging by scanning electron microscope of human erythrocytes from blood micro-samples obtained by finger prick. By testing several key pre-analytical conditions for blood sampling, erythrocyte preservation, storage and imaging, we designed a rapid new minimally-invasive reproducible method for obtaining uniform deposition of an adequate number of erythrocytes with well-preserved morphology on a substrate. The possibility of obtaining reliable reproducible high resolution morphometric data on peripheral erythrocytes makes this protocol valuable for diagnostic and basic research purposes.

Keywords: Blood sample preparation; Erythrocytes; Scanning electron microscopy.

MeSH terms

Erythrocytes*
Humans
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning