Specific antibody against human haemoglobin A-1c - used for quantitative determination of haemoglobin A-1c levels in diabetics by radioimmunological assay

摘要

A novel antibody, (I) against human haemoglobin A1c is essentially free from cross-reactions towards the human haemoglobins Ao, A1a and A1b. The quantitative determn. of haemoglobin A1c in a blood sample comprises treating the sample with (I) and then detecting the antigen/antibody complex by radio-immunology. The blood level of haemoglobin A1c in diabetics is higher than in healthy people. The determn. of haemoglobin A1c levels is used to evaluate new drugs and in the therapy and research of the general pathophysiology of diabetes. Quantitative determn. of haemoglobin A1c is used in the investigation of carbohydrate tolerance. The method of haemoglobin A1c determination allows one person to carry out 30-40 tests in one day in a shorter time than was previously required for 2 or 3 tests. (I) is highly specific towards haemoglobin A1c as an antigen, even in the presence of other, very similar antigens. The method is suitable for evaluation of haemoglobin levels over 6%.