In Diabetic patients, glycemia analyses offer precise information as regards the condition of the body and how it reacts to insulin injections, food, etc. In order to keep proper control on diabetes, it is necessary to verify what has happened through an analytical measuring of glycated Hb.

Glycated hemoglobin has several fractions; among them, the most stable one, the one that shows a union with the most specific glucose, is fraction HbA1C.

HbA1c is not affected by abrupt or recent changes of glycemias, and depends on the glucose concentration in the environment and on the average life of red blood cells in the body.

Since these red blood cells average life is approximately of 90-120 days, knowing how they are "marked" by the glucose circulating along with them tells us how the metabolic control has been over that period of time.

Therefore, HbA1c levels are proportional to the concentration of Glucose in the blood during the last 4 – 10 weeks.

Thus, HbA1c determination provides a comprehensive parameter to monitor the control of glucose in the blood.

The test is performed on blood and it has the advantage that the sample can be taken at any moment since the result is not affected by short-term variations (e.g. food ingestion, exercise, stress, etc.).

What is its relevance on diabetes?
To keep the HbA1c level in the correct range reduces in a 50% approximately the possibility of developing chronic diabetes disorders.


Principle

The HbA1c Turbitest AA kit uses an immunoturbidimetric inhibition method to determine the concentration of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) as a percentage of total hemoglobin (Hb) in the human blood (%HbA1c).

To do that, it is necessary to liberate the hemoglobin contained in the red blood cells through sample hemolysis.

The patient's blood is placed in contact with the Hemolizing Reagent, which contains a kind of detergent (tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide – TTAB) that lyses the red blood cells specifically.

From the obtained hemolyzed blood, the level of sample's HbA1c and Hb is determined in two independent reactions. This technique has the advantage of being specific, reproducible, quick, and automatable.


KIT COMPOSITION

Reagent A1: anti-HbA1c monospecific antibodies in buffer pH: 6.2.
Reagent A2: HbA1c polyhapten in buffer pH: 6.2.
Reagent B: buffer phosphate pH: 7.4.
Calibrators 1, 2, 3, and 4: lyophilized human hemoglobin containing TTAB 9 g/l with different levels of glycation. The concentration varies from lot to lot.

PRESENTATION:

Code: 1 999 700
1 x 50 ml Reagent A1
1 x 10 ml Reagent A2
1 x 50 ml Reagent B
4 calibrator vials (1-4) x 2 ml

REAGENTS NOT INCLUDED
• HbA1c Control Turbitest AA: Normal - Pathological - Code: 1 999 702 - 2 x 1 ml
• Hemolyzing Reagent - Code: 1 999 701 - 1 x 500 ml

Adaptations for the various instruments are available