Hb A1c Separation by High Performance Liquid Chromatography in Hemoglobinopathies

Area of Science:

• Clinical Chemistry
• Hematology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a crucial biomarker for diabetes management.
• Certain hemoglobin variants can interfere with HbA1c measurement methods.
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a common method for HbA1c determination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of hemoglobin traits on HbA1c measurements using HPLC.
• To assess the correlation between HbA1c levels and age in individuals with and without hemoglobin traits.

Main Methods:

• HbA1c levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
• Spearman's rank correlation was employed to analyze the relationship between HbA1c and age.
• Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare HbA1c levels between normal and trait groups.

Main Results:

• A positive correlation between HbA1c and age was observed only in individuals with normal hemoglobin chromatograms.
• No significant difference in HbA1c levels was found between patients with normal hemoglobin and those with hemoglobin traits (Hb E trait, beta-thalassemia trait).
• HPLC demonstrated no interference from abnormal hemoglobins in HbA1c detection for heterozygous traits.

Conclusions:

• HPLC is a reliable method for HbA1c measurement in the presence of common hemoglobin traits.
• The method is not suitable for HbA1c detection in compound heterozygous and homozygous hemoglobin disorders.
• Age-related HbA1c variations are specific to individuals without hemoglobin abnormalities.