EXAFS study on the local atomic strucures around iron in glycosylated haemoglobin

Samples with 5.1%9.8% and 15.3% HbA1c were extracted from normal subjects and patients with slight and serious diabetes respectively.Extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectra of Fe K absorption were collected at the EXAFS experimental station of the Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility.The step-by-step fluorescent mode was employed with a count time of 10s per point.Several independent scans were averageed to eliminate the statistical nosie.Reference backscattering amplitudes and phaseshifts were calculated using the curve wave theory (FEFF code) of EXAFS.Apart from the nitrogen neighbors around the central iron atom,oxygen neighbours are also found.The Fe-Nbond length increases by about 0.02A for the sample with 15.3% HbAlc Compared with the others,but the Fe-Obond length is almost unchanged.With increasing of HbAlc concentration,the content of Hb increases and the content of HbO2 decreases.This demonstrates that the glycosylation of haemoglobin will decrease its ability to carry oxygen.