R P nnr', E J Hindle l J E A Howey", M Lemon", D R Lloyd" From the'Department ofClinical Chemistry, King's Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, t Department of Biochemistry, Royal Infirmary, Blackburn, Lancashire, lDepartment of Biochemical Medicine, Ninewells Hospital, Nine wells, Dundee, 'Department of Biochemistry, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham and "Department of Biochemistry, Leigh Infirmary, The Avenue, Leigh, Lancashire, UK

Sensitive assays for urine albumin are being used for the measurement of levels of protein which are above normal but below the limit of detection of commonly used tests for proteinuria. Laboratories are being increasingly required to measure these low concentrations of albumin in urine since this slight albuminuria may be associated with the development of diabetic nephropathy.' We describe a simple automated 'in house' immunoturbidimetric (IT) assay for albumin in urine using a Cobas Bio centrifugal analyser (Roche Diagnostics, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, UK). Sathianathan, Rege and Barron/ have described a similar procedure. Our analysis, however, is preceded by a colorimetric protein assay on the Cobas Bio to screen for proteinuria in excess of 21K) mg/L which may cause antigen excess in the albumin assay. We have also assessed the IT assay by comparison with a commercially available radioimmunoassay (RIA) (Albumin, Diagnostic Products Corporation, Los Angeles, CA IJIK145, USA).

Journal Article Discrepant serum FT4 values--a TBG dependency? Get access E J Hindle, E J Hindle Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar S Haldon S Haldon Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Clinical Chemistry, Volume 32, Issue 11, 1 November 1986, Page 2104, https://doi.org/10.1093/clinchem/32.11.2104 Published: 01 November 1986

Serum fructosamine and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1) were measured in capillary samples from diabetic children and compared with samples from non-diabetic children. Glycaemic control was assessed clinically and by average daily glucose values recorded by home monitoring. Fructosamine correlated with HbA1 and with average glucose values measured over 30 days. HbA1 also correlated with average glucose values measured over 60 days. Changes in fructosamine with time tended to parallel those of HbA1, and advance indication of deteriorating or improving glycaemic control was possible by observing changes in these. Fructosamine has many advantages over HbA1 measurement such as speed, technical ease, and low cost, and is a reliable alternative to HbA1 estimation as an indication of glycaemic control.

Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1) in post mortem blood was estimated following electrophoretic separation. HbA1 was measured in preserved and unpreserved specimens and its stability in vitro was studied. No significant change in the proportion of HbA1 was observed in samples stored for more than 40 days at 4 degrees C. Specimens were analysed for glucose and HbA1. There was poor correlation between these parameters, and no significant difference between the mean values of HbA1 in specimens collected within 24, 48 and 72 or more hours following death, from subjects with no previous history of diabetes. The levels were within the laboratory reference range, whilst eight specimens collected from diabetic subjects demonstrated elevated levels. There was no significant difference in HbA1 levels collected from different sites in the body even though the glucose levels showed some variation. The measurement and apparent stability of HbA1 post mortem may be a more useful diagnostic test than glucose alone where diabetes may be suspected.

1 Hindle EJ, Rostron GM, Gatt JA. The estimation of serum fructosamine: an alternative measurement to glycated haemoglobin. Ann Clin Biochem 1985; 22: 84-9. 2 Johnson RN, Metcalf PA, Baker JR. Fructosamine: a new approach to the estimation of serum glycosylprotein. An index of diabetic control. Clin Chim Acta 1983; 127: 87-95. 3 Baker JR, O'Connor JP, Metcalf PA, et al. Clinical usefulness of estimation of serum fructosamine concentration as a screening test for diabetes mellitus. Br Med J 1983; 287: 863-7. 4 Roberts AB, Baker JR, Court DJ, et al. Fructosamine in diabetic pregnancy. Lancet 1983; ii: 998-9.

questionnaire included questions on alcohol consumption. However, our questions were based on detailing the previous week's drinking, while Drs Wallace and Haines asked about the average frequency of alcohol consumption a week. Our questions were based on those used in other studies. We sent out 409 questionnaires; 37 were returned by the Post Office and 298 were completed and returned-a response rate (73%) comparable with that of Drs Wallace and Haines. The table compares the alcohol consumption in our study and that of the authors. The proportion of

A method is presented for the estimation of fructosamine using a Cobas Bio centrifugal analyser. The effect of three different preparations of human serum albumin used for construction of calibration curves of 1-deoxy-1-morpholinofructose is described. The selection of serum albumin and the concentration used in the standard solutions is critical since the dose-response curve is affected differently and will therefore influence the estimated values. Normal ranges were obtained for non-diabetic subjects with normal protein status and for a group of females with reduced albumin levels due to pregnancy or oestrogen therapy. There was no significant difference between fructosamine levels in these populations. Fructosamine was also estimated in 250 patients attending a diabetic out-patient department and this correlated well with haemoglobin A1 estimated simultaneously. The method is rapid, technically simple and inexpensive and may prove to be a useful and reliable alternative to HbA1 estimation.