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. 2012 Apr;36(2):98-107.
doi: 10.4093/dmj.2012.36.2.98. Epub 2012 Apr 17.

The roles of glycated albumin as intermediate glycation index and pathogenic protein

Kwang Joon Kim  1 , Byung-Wan Lee
Affiliations

The roles of glycated albumin as intermediate glycation index and pathogenic protein

Kwang Joon Kim et al. Diabetes Metab J. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

The conventional glycemic indices used in management of diabetic patients includes A1c, fructosamine, 1,5-anhydroglucitol, and glycated albumin (GA). Among these indices, A1c is currently used as the gold standard. However, A1c cannot reflect the glycemic change over a relatively short period of time, and its accuracy is known to decrease when abnormalities in hemoglobin metabolism, such as anemia, coexist. When considering these weaknesses, there have been needs for finding a novel glycemic index for diagnosing and managing diabetes, as well as for predicting diabetic complications properly. Recently, several studies have suggested the potential of GA as an intermediate-term glycation index in covering the short-term effect of treatment. Furthermore, its role as a pathogenic protein affecting the worsening of diabetes and occurrence of diabetic complications is receiving attention as well. Therefore, in this article, we wanted to review the recent status of GA as a glycemic index and as a pathogenic protein.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Glycated albumin; Glycemic index; Hemoglobin A1c.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structure of albumin.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Glycation process of albumin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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