Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38946743›Full record

ArticleThe Pan African medical journal2024

Impact of haemoglobin variants on the diagnostic sensitivity of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) assay methodologies in sub-Saharan Africa: a laboratory-based method validation study.

Priscilla Agatha Balungi, Anxious Jackson Niwaha, Rachel Nice, Lauren Rodgers, Nathan Mubiru, Rogers Mukasa, Angus Jones, Andrew Hattersley, Beverley Shields, Moffat Nyirenda and 1 more

Abstract readValidation StudyComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in The Pan African medical journal, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Priscilla Agatha BalungiMedical Research Council / Uganda Virus Research Institution &London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.
Anxious Jackson NiwahaMedical Research Council / Uganda Virus Research Institution &London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.
Rachel NiceAcademic Department of Blood Sciences Laboratory, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Devon, United Kingdom.
Lauren RodgersAcademic Department of Blood Sciences Laboratory, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Devon, United Kingdom.
Nathan MubiruMedical Research Council / Uganda Virus Research Institution &London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.
Rogers MukasaMedical Research Council / Uganda Virus Research Institution &London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.
Angus JonesInstitute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, EX2 5DW, Exeter, United Kingdom.
Andrew HattersleyInstitute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, EX2 5DW, Exeter, United Kingdom.
Beverley ShieldsAcademic Department of Blood Sciences Laboratory, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Devon, United Kingdom.
Moffat NyirendaMedical Research Council / Uganda Virus Research Institution &London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Unit, Entebbe, Uganda.
Timothy J McDonaldAcademic Department of Blood Sciences Laboratory, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Devon, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: the utility of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) for the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa is uncertain due to limited data on the performance of the available HbA1c assay methods in this population, which has a high prevalence of haemoglobin variants. We aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the major HbA1c methodologies (Boronate Affinity, Capillary Electrophoresis, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Immunoassay) in an African population, and assess the impact of the common haemoglobin variant HbAS (sickle cell trait). Methods: whole blood samples were obtained from 182 individuals living with type 2 diabetes in Uganda. HbA1c values for each method were compared to average glucose measured over 14 days by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). To determine concordance, the three HbA1c assay methods were compared to the capillary electrophoresis method. Results: there was a strong correlation between CGM average glucose levels and all four HbA1c methodologies (r=0.81-0.89) which did not differ in those with and without HbAS (present in 37/182 participants). The presence of HbAS did not alter the relationship between HbA1c and CGM glucose for any assay (p for interaction >0.2 for all methods). Diagnostic accuracy for CGM average glucose thresholds of 7 and 10mmol/L was similar across methods (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.80-0.84 and 0.76-0.84 respectively). The maximum bias between the HbA1c assay methodologies was 2 mmol/mol (2.07%). Conclusion: all major HbA1c technologies offer accurate and comparable HbA1c measurement even in this population with high prevalence of haemoglobin variants.

Indexed as

Blood GlucoseDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2Electrophoresis, CapillaryGlycated HemoglobinSensitivity and SpecificityAdultAgedBlood Glucose Self-MonitoringChromatography, High Pressure LiquidFemaleHemoglobins, AbnormalHumansImmunoassayMaleMiddle AgedUgandaBlood GlucoseGlycated Hemoglobinhemoglobin A1c protein, humanHemoglobins, Abnormalcontinuous glucose monitoringGlycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)haemoglobin variantsHbA1c methodologies

Identifiers

PMID38946743
PMCPMC11214146

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.