Journal of International Research in Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Aims: This study aimed to compare the values of ATP and ADP in plasma stored in EDTA and lithium heparin specimen bottles at room temperature.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Nnamdi Azikiwe University teaching hospital, Nnewi Nigeria from March 3^rd 2025 to May 1^st 2025. The duration covered research design, ethical approval application, reagent sourcing, participants recruitment, analysis, and manuscript preparation.

Methodology: Blood samples were collected from twenty apparently healthy individuals and divided into EDTA and lithium heparin tubes. ATP and ADP concentration were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed using an independent t-test to determine differences between the two mean values of ATP and ADP.

Results: Statistical analysis was performed using an independent t-test to determine differences between the two mean values of ATP and ADP. ATP and ADP levels were significantly higher in EDTA plasma compared to lithium heparin plasma (p < 0.001). The mean ATP concentration in EDTA was

846.19±94.54 nmol/L, while lithium heparin samples had a significantly lower mean value of 589.61±61.93 nmol/L. Similarly, ADP levels were higher in EDTA plasma (

804.00±164.11 nmol/L) than in lithium heparin plasma (610.00±145.60 nmol/L) where p < 0.001.

Conclusion: EDTA is recommended for studies requiring nucleotide stability, particularly in platelet function assessments and metabolic evaluations. These findings support the use of EDTA for studies requiring stable ATP and ADP measurements.