title: Comparison of microchromatography and electrophoresis with elution for hemoglobin A2 (Hb A2) quantitation.
abstract: Microcolumns prepared in the authors' laboratory, two commercial microchromatography kits, and electrophoresis with elution were compared for Hb A2 quantitation. Day-to-day imprecision of microchromatographic methods was similar (CV 4.7--6.6%) and somewhat less than electrophoresis with elution (CV 8.0--9.1%). Both commercial kits showed variable imprecision in different lots; one lot of Kit B gave erratic results due to resin leakage. From 49 patient specimens, Kit A microcolumns and those of the authors identified the same 14 patients with an elevated percentage of Hb A2 and showed good correlation (P = 0.90), although Kit A showed constant bias toward higher values. Electrophoresis with elution resulted in a false-positive and a false-negative value, did not correlate well with microcolumns (P = 0.78 and 0.76), and showed proportional bias toward lower values for an elevated percentage of Hb A2. Commercial kits were convenient, relatively quick, and cost-effective. Frozen, stabilized hemolysates performed well for quality control.
mesh_terms: D001797:Blood Protein Electrophoresis; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006441:Hemoglobin A / Q000032:analysis*; D006443:Hemoglobin A2 / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006441:Hemoglobin A; D006443:Hemoglobin A2