Calculations of analyte loss in experiments conducted by Banerjee et al. (1985, Table 2)

Abstract

Banerjee, Levitz, and Rosenberg (Steroids 46, 967, Dec 1985) investigated the stability of salivary progesterone in glass, polypropylene, and polyethylene storage vials. Occasionally, Banerjee et al. are misquoted as having stated that polypropylene tubes are not suitable for storing saliva intended for progesterone assays. This is not the case: Banerjee et al extoled the use of glass vials for untreated saliva samples kept at room temperature for 72 hours, showed that polyethylene tubes were particularly poor for such storage (approximately 45% loss of analyte), and showed that polypropylene tubes had a much smaller analyte loss (approximately 17%). Banerjee et al also showed that for storage at -20C, polypropylene tubes had only very small losses (2%).

Here we present Banerjee et al's results in a convenient and readily-understandable form.