Every AIBL study participant was asked to provide an 80ml sample of blood at study commencement. A portion of the blood sample was in a range of baseline testing including:

  • full blood examination
  • erythrocyte sedimentation rate
  • urea and electrolytes
  • creatinine
  • androgen levels
  • globulin levels
  • sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)
  • glomerular filtration rate
  • calcium
  • liver function tests
  • serum lipids
  • homocysteine
  • serum and red cell folate
  • B12
  • glucose
  • insulin
  • ceruloplasmin
  • ferritin/transferrin/iron
  • estradiol
  • luteinizing hormone
  • thyroid function (thyroid stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine)
  • and prostate specific antigen (males only).

0.5ml of whole blood was forwarded for apolipoprotein E genotyping and another 0.59ml of whole blood was stored in liquid nitrogen.

The remaining blood was fractionated into serum, plasma, platelets, red blood cell, white blood cell (dH20) and white blood cell (RNAlater, Ambion) and stored in liquid nitrogen.

Stored blood samples were sourced from 3 different tube types: lithium-heparin tubes, EDTA tubes with added prostaglandin E1 (Sapphire Biosciences, 33.3ng/ml), and serum tubes.