Abstract: Methods and microcolumns to determine a numerical percentage value as a diagnostic indicator of the blood sugar condition of a specific person. A whole blood sample is lysed and a test sample thereof is placed on a microchromatographic column bed of ion exchange material particles. The column bed is characterized by having no cyanide therein. The column bed comprises an equilibrated suspension of particles selected from the class consisting of CarXH and CarYOH, where "Car" represents an inert substrate for carrying ionizable groups X.sup.- providing dissociated cations H.sup.+ and ionizable groups Y.sup.+ providing anions OH.sup.-. Fractions of various hemoglobin species in the test sample are preferentially eluted or desorbed from the column bed by buffer and wash solutions characterized by having no cyanide therein. Amounts of hemoglobin species in the eluate fractions are detected and measured by spectrometric (color) analysis.

Abstract: A method to determine a numerical percentage value as a diagnostic indicator of the blood sugar condition of a specific person. A whole blood sample is lysed and introduced into an improved ion exchange resin (Amberlite CG-50) liquid column for microchromatographic separation of hemolysates. Amounts of hemoglobin species, particularly Hb-A.sub.1a-c, are detected and measured by spectrometric (color) analysis. A mathematical computation using integer factors corresponding to amounts of various hemoglobin species produces the numerical percentage value.

Abstract: A method to determine a numerical percentage value as a diagnostic indicator of the blood sugar condition of a specific person. A whole blood sample is lysed and introduced into an improved ion exchange cellulose (Whatman DE-52) liquid column for microchromatographic separation of hemolysates. Amounts of hemoglobin species are detected and measured by spectrometric (color) analysis. A mathematical computation using integer factors corresponding to amounts of various hemoglobin species produces the numerical percentage value.

Abstract: A method to determine a numerical percentage value as a diagnostic indicator of the blood sugar condition of a specific person. A whole blood sample is lysed and introduced into an improved ion exchange cellulose (Whatman CM-52) liquid column for microchromatographic separation of hemolysates. Amounts of hemoglobin species, particularly Hb-A.sub.1a-c, are detected and measured by spectrometric (color) analysis. A mathematical computation using integer factors corresponding to amounts of various hemoglobin species produces the numerical percentage value.

Abstract: A method to determine a numerical percentage value as a diagnostic indicator of the blood sugar condition of a specific person. A whole blood sample is lysed and introduced into an improved ion exchange resin (Amberlite CG-50, Type II) liquid column for microchromatographic separation of hemolysates. Amounts of hemoglobin species, particularly Hb-A.sub.1a-c, are detected and measured by spectrometric (color) analysis. A mathematical computation using integer factors corresponding to amounts of various hemoglobin species produces the numerical percentage value.

Abstract: A method to determine a numerical percentage value as a diagnostic indicator of the blood sugar condition of a specific person. A whole blood sample is lysed and introduced into an improved ion exchange cellulose (Whatman CM-52)liquid column for microchromatographic separation of hemolysates. Amounts of hemoglobin species, particularly Hb-A.sub.1a-c, are detected and measured by spectometric (color) analysis. A mathematical computation using integer factors corresponding to amounts of various hemoglobin species produces the numerical percentage value.

Abstract: Glutamate and glutamic transaminases are determined by mixing a substrate-reagent composition that is essentially free of ammonia or ammonium ions with a specimen to be analyzed, incubating the resulting mixture for less than about 15 minutes, terminating incubation and measuring a color produced.