Haemoglobin F and the assessment of glucose control by chromatographically determined Hb_1c levels

Abstract

HbF and HbA_1c-levels were determined in diabetic patients and non-diabetic controls to evaluate the influence of HbF on chromatographically determined HbA_1c-levels. No difference in mean HbF was observed between controls and diabetic patients. However, in the combined material, women had a higher mean value (0.31%) than men (0.20%). Estimates of time average blood glucose concentrations (_glc, mmol/1) were calculated from HbA_1c-values in diabetic patients corrected for codetermined HbF. This correction resulted in a difference greater than 1 mmol/1 in only 4% of diabetic men and 28% of diabetic women compared to estimates of _glc from uncorrected HbA_1c-results. We conclude, however, that the influence of HbF on chromatographically determined HbA_1c-levels in most cases is of minor importance in assessing glucose control in diabetic patients.

Key-words:

• diabetes mellitus
• glucose control
• haemoglobin A_1c
• haemoglobin F.