Urine sample collection and handling

Abstract

Urine, as a normal biologically excreted body fluid, is very useful specimen for disease diagnosis and biomarker analysis. Urine sample collection is generally noninvasive. Many procedures have been developed and validated for the collection of urine samples from healthy people, patients, and animal species. Methods for handling, storage, and treatment of urine samples depend on the purpose of the analysis, the nature of the analysis, and the target analytes. This chapter describes the types of urine samples, protocols of urine collection, procedures for sample handling, and methods of sample treatment, with examples of target analyte and analytical purposes. Various sample pretreatment methods, including centrifugation, extraction, protein depletion, and nucleic acid purification, are discussed for different analytical objectives. Commonly used sampling protocols in clinical laboratories for routine urine analysis are summarized. More sophisticated analysis and research involving genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics demand further development of appropriate sample handling and treatment procedures.