Non-separation assay for glycohemoglobin

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The determination of glycohemoglobin [HbA_1c, HbA₁, or total glycohemoglobin (GHb)] has become an established procedure in the management of diabetes mellitus. Here, we describe the development of a simple, fluorescence, non-separation assay for the percentage of GHb (%GHb). The fluorescence of an eosin-boronic acid derivative when it was mixed with hemolysates of unwashed erythrocytes was quenched in proportion to the percentage of glycohemoglobin. Measurement of the fluorescence intensity gave an estimate of GHb in the sample, and measurement of light absorbance gave an estimate of total hemoglobin. A combination of the two measurements gave the assay response. Comparison with HPLC (Menarini-Arkray HA-8140 fully automated analyzer) for the percentage of HbA₁ (%HbA₁) gave %GHb(NETRIA) = 1.1(SD ±0.03)%HbA₁ +0.6(SD ±0.3), S_yx = 0.821, r = 0.972, n = 80; comparison for HbA_1c gave %GHb(NETRIA) = 1.3(SD ±0.04)%HbA_1c + 1.8(SD ±0.3), S_yx = 0.813, r = 0.973, n = 80. Precision, estimated as the percentage of the CV of the %GHb assay results, was <2% (intraassay, range 5–22% GHb) and <4.2% (interassay, range 4–16% GHb). Dilution of a high-percentage GHb sample lysate showed that the assay was linear, and addition of glucose (60 mmol/L), bilirubin (250 µmol/L), and triglycerides (14 mmol/L) to low, medium, and high %GHb samples showed no clinical interference in assay results.