The impact of the HbA1c level of type 2 diabetics on the structure of haemoglobin

Abstract

This study explores the impact of HbA1c levels on the structure of haemoglobin (Hb) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Seventy-four diabetic patients were classified into the following two groups based on their level of HbA1c: group A, patients with good glycaemic control (HbA1c < 7.0%, n = 36); group B, patients with persistent hyperglycaemia (HbA1c ≥ 9.0%, n = 38). Thirty-four healthy people served as controls (group H). Hb structure was examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and diabetic erythrocytes were modelled to estimate the impact of glucose on these cells and Hb. Increasing glucose concentrations altered both erythrocyte parameters and the Hb secondary structure. Group B differed significantly from group H (p > 0.05): in the former, the ordered Hb secondary structure had a strong tendency to transform into a disordered secondary structure, decreasing structural stability. We presumed here that high HbA1c levels might be a factor contributing to Hb structural modifications in diabetic patients. FTIR spectral analysis can provide a novel way to investigate the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.