Phenotyping neonatal Leucocytes Using Mass Spectrometry (PLUMS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study of Phenotyping neonatal Leucocytes Using Mass Spectrometry (PLUMS)
IRAS ID
223564
Contact name
Colin Morgan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Mass spectrometry or CyTOF (Cytometry by Time Of Flight) is a laboratory technique which is relatively new and has not been used previously in the neonatal research field. It can be used to look at up to 100 different parameters in very small samples of blood, which make this an ideal technique to be used for research in the neonatal population, where samples volumes are typically very small. As this technique has not been used previously on neonatal blood samples we wish to validate the technique using the blood that is leftover in the umbilical cord that is still attached to the placenta after delivery of an infant. This cord (and the blood it contains) is routinely discarded with the placenta and would enable us to test the feasibility of collecting, analysing and optimising the technique to minimise the necessary sample volumes before applying the technique to infant neonatal blood samples.
This study seeks to obtain 20 cord blood samples and analyse them using the mass spectrometry technique to characterise the types and amounts of the different types of white blood cells. The study will involve ensuring the technique is feasible in very small blood samples and that the results obtained are reproducible and comparable with the published data from more conventional laboratory techniques, such as flow cytometry.REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0466
Date of REC Opinion
9 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion