Estimation of mean erythrocyte age using HbA1c or HbA1c/glycated albumin for evaluation of anemia severity.

Background: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels are low in patients with hemolytic anemia, as HbA1c reflects mean erythrocyte age (M ). Erythrocyte creatine (EC) is a hemolytic indicator that also reflects M . We previously reported an equation for estimating M using EC (EC-M ).

Usefulness of HbA1c Measurements by HPLC- and Immuno-Assay for Screening Unstable Hemoglobinopathy.

Objective: Unstable hemoglobinopathy (UH), red blood cell membrane disease (MD), and red blood cell enzymopathy are known as major congenital hemolytic anemias. Specialized examinations are needed for their differential diagnosis. We hypothesized that simultaneous measurements of HbA1c levels using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by fast mode (FM) and immunoassay [HPLC (FM)-HbA1c and IA-HbA1c, respectively] are useful for the differential diagnosis of UH from other congenital hemolytic anemias and verified this hypothesis in this study.

Diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of erythrocyte creatine content to predict the improvement of anaemia in patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis.

Background: The improvement of anaemia over time by erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) is associated with better survival in haemodialysis patients. We previously reported that erythrocyte creatine content, a marker of erythropoietic capacity, was a reliable marker to estimate the effectiveness of ESA. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy and clinical usefulness of erythrocyte creatine content to predict the improvement of anaemia in haemodialysis patients.

Evaluation of recombinant human erythropoietin responsiveness by measuring erythrocyte creatine content in haemodialysis patients.

Background: One of the main causes of anaemia in patients with end-stage renal disease is relative deficiency in erythropoietin production. Eythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA), a potent haematopoietic growth factor, is used to treat anaemia in haemodialysis patients. The effect of ESA is usually assessed by haematological indices such as red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit, but erythrocyte indices do not provide information of the rapid change in erythropoietic activity.