Measurement of plasma fructosamine evaluated for monitoring diabetes.

The mean fructosamine concentration in plasma of diabetics (n = 200) differed significantly (p less than 0.001) from those of a hospitalized nondiabetic population (n = 163)--the latter mean being essentially the same for ambulatory subjects (n = 145), expectant mothers (n = 58), and patients with renal failure (n = 31), regardless of sex. In the diabetic group, values for plasma fructosamine correlated with those for glycated hemoglobin (r = 0.767, p less than 0.01) and glycated protein (r = 0.817, p less than 0.01). Values for plasma fructosamine were stable from day to day in patients with controlled blood glucose, but fluctuated in certain patients receiving only parenteral nutrition, even when their concentrations of glucose were normal and stable. We conclude that measurement of plasma fructosamine is suitable for assessing intermediate-term control of blood glucose when the turnover of plasma proteins is normal.