The measurement of hemoglobin A1. Evaluation of an 'aldimine eliminator'.

The efficiency of a newly introduced 'hemoglobin A1 aldimine eliminator' in minimizing the effect of recent fluxes of glucose on the determination of total glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1) was evaluated by comparing HbA1 values measured during morning fast and again 6 h postprandially in 26 insulin-dependent diabetic subjects by Isolab's Fast Hemoglobin Test System employing dialyzed and aldimine eliminator-added non-dialyzed hemolysate. The HbA1 values determined by this microcolumn procedure were also compared with those of the conventional macrocolumn method of Trivelli. HbA1 measured by the microcolumn procedure and aldimine eliminator using non-dialyzed hemolysates did not differ from the HbA1 values based on dialyzed hemolysates, and a good correlation was found between the macrocolumn method and the Isolab's Fast Hemoglobin Test System employing both aldimine eliminator added non-dialyzed hemolysate (r = 0.88, p less than 0.001) and dialyzed hemolysate (r = 0.97, p less than 0.001). When 6 h changes were assessed, the mean blood glucose had increased from 11.7 to 15.5 mmol/l (p less than 0.001), and no significant increase in HbA1 occurred when HbA1 was assayed in aldimine eliminator-added non-dialyzed hemolysates (mean fast HbA1: 11.7% and mean postprandial HbA1: 11.8%). Therefore, the use of the HbA1 aldimine eliminator appears to be valuable, practical and time-saving.