Standardization of the HbA2 assay

Background A project for the standardization of HbA2 was launched by the IFCC back in 2004. Materials and methods In this work we report on the state-of-the-art of the project on standardization of HbA2. Data obtained from various EQAS studies, and from previous experimental evaluations, are presented. Results We have proven that biases between various commercial methods are still currently significant. We have also shown that calibration by commutable control materials may halve the inter-method variability. Conclusions The foundation of the reference system for HbA2, together with a brief preliminary presentation of the proposed primary reference measurement procedure based on ID-MS are outlined.