Retrospective Evaluation of Hemoglobin Variants Detected During HbA1c Testing via Capillary Electrophoresis Hemoglobin Variants Detected During HbA1c Testing

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hemoglobin (Hb) variants detected during hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) analysis using capillary electrophoresis and to evaluate the clinical significance of these incidental findings in the population. Materials and Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 64,381 patients who underwent HbA1c testing in our laboratory between 01.09.2024 and 30.04.2025.HbA1c levels were measured by capillary electrophoresis (Capillarys 3; Sebia, France), and chromatograms were manually reviewed for Hb variants.Statistical analyses were performed using XLSTAT® software.Results: Hb variants were detected in 172 cases (0.25%).The most common variants were HbD (41.9%),HbF (33.7%), and HbS (14.5%).A statistically significant difference among variant groups was observed only for mean corpuscular Hb concentration (p = 0.0033).Conclusion: Detection of hemoglobin variants during HbA1c analysis using capillary electrophoresis may contribute to the identification of clinically silent hemoglobinopathies in the population.Therefore, employing highly sensitive methods is crucial for accurate clinical interpretation.