[Measurement of glycated hemoglobin with the Abbott IMx automatic analyzer]

The Abbott IMx assay is an affinity method, based on boronate binding to glycated hemoglobin. A novel separation system, ion capture technology, is used for separation of GHb from non-GHb. Affinity-based GHb methods are reported not to be subject to interference from either aldimine intermediates (pre-Alc fraction) or Hb variants that can comigrate in ion-exchange based chromatographic methods with the HbAlc fraction or with HbAO, having, in both cases, an unreliable % HbA1c result. The purpose of the study was to investigate the analytical performance of the GHb IMx assay, illustrating also a case study involving an abnormal hemoglobin variant.