《生命科学》 2026, 38(5): 932-942

分析前变量对生物样本库组织样本RNA质量影响的研究进展

郑仰思¹ , 林旋豪¹ , 王媛媛^1,2,*

¹汕头市中心医院生物样本库，汕头 515031 ²汕头市中心医院病理科，汕头 515031

摘　要：

生物样本库作为转化医学研究的重要资源，其保藏的组织样本质量对下游分子分析结果的可靠性起着决定性作用。组织样本中RNA完整性是样本质量的重要指标，受多种分析前变量的综合影响。本文系统综述了影响RNA质量的关键分析前变量，探讨采集前阶段（如供体特征、组织类型和手术相关变量）和采集后阶段（如冷缺血时间、保藏温度、冻存时间、冻融次数和保护剂选择）多种影响因素，旨在为生物样本库标准化操作流程的建立提供理论依据，为医学研究提供更可靠的样本资源。

通讯作者：王媛媛 , Email:315075516@qq.com

Research progress on the impact of pre-analytical variables on RNA quality in biobank tissue samples

ZHENG Yang-Si¹ , LIN Xuan-Hao¹ , WANG Yuan-Yuan^1,2,*

¹Biobank, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou 515031, China ²Department of Pathology, Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou 515031, China

Abstract:

Biobanks represent irreplaceable core resources for translational medicine and precision medicine research. The quality of preserved tissue samples directly determines the reliability and reproducibility of downstream molecular analyses, among which RNA integrity is widely acknowledged as a pivotal quality indicator of tissue specimens. However, RNA quality is significantly influenced by numerous pre-analytical variables throughout the entire lifecycle from sample collection to analysis. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying these variables provides essential theoretical basis and practical guidance for the development of standardized biobank protocols. This paper systematically reviews key pre-analytical variables that influence RNA quality in tissue samples. These variables are categorized into two phases: pre-acquisition and post-acquisition phases. The  pre-acquisition phase mainly encompasses donor characteristics (age, BMI, disease status, and medication history), tissue factors  (organ origin, histological features, tumor grade, tumor location, and clinical stage), and surgical variables (surgical approach and warm ischemia time). The post-acquisition phase focuses on cold ischemia time, preservation  temperature, storage duration, freeze-thaw cycles and the selection of RNA stabilizers. The review elaborates on the effects of these factors on RNA integrity across different tissue types, and summarizes the controversial findings and underlying molecular mechanisms in current studies.
Based on comprehensive analyses, this review proposes that biobanks should implement dynamically optimized and fulllifecycle  quality control strategies tailored to specific tissue types and research objectives. It is recommended to strictly regulate the pre-analytical window periods, establish a full-chain temperature monitoring system, adopt aliquot storage to minimize freeze-thaw damage, and apply the Standard PREanalytical Code (SPREC) for standardized recording and traceability of key pre-analytical variables. Furthermore, the combined application of multiple RNA quality evaluation systems (such as RIN, RNA IQ, and RQI) and regular sampling quality control is recommended to enhance the accuracy of RNA quality assessment. This review provides a robust theoretical foundation for the development of standardized, high-quality biobanks and facilitates the efficient utilization of biospecimens in clinical translation and scientific research.

Communication Author：WANG Yuan-Yuan , Email:315075516@qq.com