Method and means for determining serum glucose levels in blood samples and to detect diabetes mellitus in humans

摘要

The invention provides a method of determining serum glucose levels in a blood sample or a sample derived from blood, said method comprising the steps of maintaining the sample at a controlled temperature, controlling the pH of the sample to a suitable value, between 10 and 14, adding a colouring agent, preferably a reducible dye such as nitro-blue tetrazolium, to the sample and after a first delay in taking a first colour measurement and after a second delay in time taking a second colour measurement and comparing the resultant colour change with the colour change in a standard solution, the selected colouring agent and pH conditions being such that a change of colour in the colouring agent is caused by the glucose in the sample while that glucose is still reacted or associated with an amine group of protein in that blood and when the glucose has undergone a molecular re-arrangement and is present in the form of fructosamine.