T. Yamanouchi et Y. Akanuma, SERUM 1,5-ANHYDROGLUCITOL (1,5-AG) - NEW CLINICAL MARKER FOR GLYCEMICCONTROL, Diabetes research and clinical practice, 24, 1994, pp. 190000261-190000268
We review the use of 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5 AG) in diagnosing and mo
nitoring patients with diabetes. This six-carbon chain monosaccharide
is one of the major polyols present in humans. Its concentration in se
rum is normally about 12 to 40 mu g/ml. This substance is derived main
ly from food, is well absorbed in the intestine, and is distributed to
all organs and tissues. It is metabolically stable, being excreted in
the urine when its level exceeds the renal threshold. It is reabsorbe
d in the renal tubules, and is competitively inhibited by glucosuria,
which leads to a reduction in its level in serum. The correlation betw
een this reduction and the amount of glucose present in urine is so cl
ose that 1,5 AG can be used as a sensitive, day-to-day, real-time mark
er of glycemic control. It provides useful information on current glyc
emic control and is superior to both HbA(1c) and fructosamine in detec
ting near-normoglycemia.