Clinical use and time relationship of changes in affinity measurement of glycosylated albumin and glycosylated hemoglobin.

Simple techniques for measurement of glycosylated hemoglobin and glycosylated albumin by affinity chromatography on m-aminophenylboronic acid agarose columns have recently been developed. This study explored the time course of changes in glycoalbumin versus those of glycohemoglobin in response to rapid changes in ambient glucose concentration. One would predict that glycoalbumin levels would change more rapidly than glycohemoglobin levels due to the shorter half-life of albumin than hemoglobin. This was found to be the case in a group of rabbits rendered diabetic with alloxan. Glycoalbumin levels plateaued 4 weeks after alloxan administration, while glycohemoglobin levels were still rising. In a group of diabetic patients in whom glucose levels were initially poorly controlled, strict diet or intensive insulin management were used to rapidly bring glucose levels under control. In this group of patients, the glycoalbumin values entered the normal range and plateaued, while glycosylated hemoglobin levels were still falling. Glycoalbumin determination by affinity chromatography is a valuable adjunct to glycosylated hemoglobin determination in evaluating near term control of blood sugar values.