Low proportions of glycosylated hemoglobin associated with hemoglobin S and hemoglobin C

Abstract

Using a cation-exchange chromatographic method, the authors found normal or subnormal values for glycoylated hemoglobin in a few diabetic patients with persistent hyperglycemia. Subsequent investigations revealed that these unexpected results had originated from black patients with diabetes. In view of common occurrence of abnormal hemoglobins in the Negro population, blood preparations were subjected to electrophoresis on cellulose acetate and acrylamide gel. The results have shown the presence of hemoglobin S or hemoglobin C in each patient. When allowance was made for the percentage of the abnormal hemoglobin, the 'corrected values' of glycosylated hemoglobin increased to the diabetic range. Furthermore, the corrected values agreed well with the 'expected values' calculated from a regression line correlating fasting blood glucose concentrations and proportions of glycosylated hemoglobin in more than 300 diabetics with no evidence of hemoglobinopathy. It is concluded that in diabetic patients presenting with hemoglobin S or hemoglobin C, there is a considerable decrease in the values for glycosylated hemoglobin as measured by cation-echange chromatographic methods, and that this decrease is proportional to the percentage of the abnormal hemoglobin.