Received: June 07, 2021 Accepted: June 10, 2021 Published: June 10, 2021
Aims and objective(s): To assess any variation in measurement of Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) in Na-fluoride and K3EDTA anticoagulant specimens.
Methodology: Study conducted at a tertiary care hospital laboratory, included total of 100 individuals EDTA and Na-F samples. The HbA1c was measured by cation exchange HPLC based BioRad Variant II turbo analyser after collection of the sample in K3EDTA and Na-fluoride from the diabetes patients attending for routine health check-up at endocrine/medicine out-patient. The analysis was performed in both these specimens on day 1, day 3 and 5 of sample collection, after storing at 2-8ºC, to check the stability on storage. The results was expressed as mean ±SD, the difference between the values were determined by students t-test, p-value
Results: There was no much variation in measured levels of HbA1c in both the anticoagulant tubes (CV% 0.0-0.3). There was no significant difference in the mean values of HbA1c measured on day 1 (8.22 ± 0.02 in K3EDTA and 8.25 ± 0.02 in Na-fluoride with P=0.958). There was significant correlations found between the measured level of HbA1c in both the anticoagulant tube (r=0.998; y = 0.999x + 0.035); day 1 and day 5 of storage (r=.999; y = 1.000x - 0.014). Mean bias % between the measured levels of HbA1c in both the tubes was found to be negligibly small (0.004%).
Conclusion: HbA1c can be tested in Na-fluoride sample, routinely drawn to measure the plasma glucose with no variation in this measurement compared to K3EDTA specimen. There is no significant interference by these anticoagulants on estimation of HbA1c in BioRad variant Turbo cation Exchange HPLC method. This rules-out absolute need for added sample (K3EDTA) collection from the patients/diabetics attending for routine health check-up.
Keywords: HbA1c, Na-Fluoride, K3EDTA, cation exchange HPLC.
