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Updated: May 14, 2026

A Rapid and Chemical-free Hemoglobin Assay with Photothermal Angular Light Scattering
Published on: December 7, 2016
Hemoglobin Yanase can lead to inaccurate diabetes diagnoses when using HbA1c measurement by HPLC
Pedro Moral Parras1, Alba Martínez Chamorro2, Luis Romero Reyes3
1Biotechnology Area, Clinical Analysis, Alto Guadalquivir Hospital, Andújar, Spain.
Abstract:
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is essential for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes mellitus (DM). However, hemoglobin (Hb) variants can alter its measurement using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), compromising the patients' diagnosis and follow-up. The limited information in databases such as HbVar and IthaNet makes it difficult to interpret and classify these variants. HbA1c levels in the patient group were uninterpretable when measured using ion-exchange HPLC (Tosoh G8), suggesting possible assay interference. By using alternative methods of immunoassay and capillary electrophoresis, normal HbA1c concentrations were obtained. Genetic testing in all patients confirmed the presence of a variant in the Hb α2 gene, Hb-Yanase. Hb-Yanase is a poorly documented variant globally, which could be underestimated in Spain. Its phenotype and degree of pathogenicity are uncertain due to the small number reported and the existence of outdated databases. In the described group, no patient showed variant-related pathophysiological alterations.
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