title: Evaluation of the DCA Vantage analyzer for HbA 1c assay.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Measurement of HbA 1c is key in monitoring diabetic patients in both laboratories and clinical units, where HbA 1c results are used as part of patient education.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have evaluated the DCA Vantage, a new device for immunological assay of HbA 1c. HbA 1c results obtained were evaluated in terms of precision, linearity, specificity and practicability, and were compared with results obtained by a Variant II HPLC method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The method exhibited intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation lower than 2.6% and 4.0%, respectively, and good correlation with the comparison HPLC method (r2=0.9776). No interference was noted in the presence of labile HbA 1c or carbamylated hemoglobin. The new device exhibited improved practicability characteristics and allowed better sample identification, better management of quality control routines and greater connectivity possibilities compared to the previous DCA 2000 analyzer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This new analyzer exhibited analytical and practical characteristics very suitable for HbA 1c assay for laboratory or point-of-care use according to good laboratory practice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pediatric Biology and Research, American Memorial Hospital, University Hospital of Reims, Reims, France.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szymezak
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lavalard
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gillery
mesh_terms: D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human