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Hemoglobin variants and determination of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)

W J Schnedl1, A Liebminger, R E Roller

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Karl-Franzens University School of Medicine, Auenbruggerplatz 15, A-8036 Graz, Austria. wolfgang.schnedl@kfunigraz.ac.at

Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews
|April 18, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) testing is crucial for diabetes management. However, hemoglobin variants can interfere, leading to inaccurate HbA1c results and potentially affecting patient care.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Endocrinology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Glycated hemoglobin (GHb) measurement is vital for assessing long-term glycemic control in diabetic patients.
  • Studies like DCCT and UKPDS confirm the link between glycemic control and diabetes complications.
  • Current testing excludes samples with hemoglobinopathies, lacking guidelines for Hb variants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how hemoglobin variants interfere with glycated hemoglobin assays.
  • To highlight the potential for false HbA1c results due to these interferences.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on glycated hemoglobin determination.
  • Analysis of interference mechanisms of hemoglobin variants on HbA1c assays.

Main Results:

  • Hemoglobin variants are known to interfere with various glycated hemoglobin determination methods.
  • This interference can lead to inaccurate HbA1c values, misrepresenting glycemic control.

Conclusions:

  • The presence of hemoglobin variants poses a significant challenge for accurate HbA1c measurement.
  • Standardized guidelines are needed to address the comparability of samples with Hb variants to ensure reliable diabetes management.

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