Eight type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic subjects (7 women, 1 man, aged 42–61 yr), initially treated with oral hypoglycemic agents and intermittently treated with conventional insulins, were identified as developing allergic reactions to porcine and mixed-species monocomponent insulin. Allergy was systemic (urticaria and nonthrombocytopenic purpura) and local delayed in two subjects and local immediate or biphasic in six subjects. Lipoatrophy was present in two subjects. After treatment with human semisynthetic insulin (Monotard HM and Actrapid HM), systemic allergy disappeared. Local allergy disappeared in five subjects and was reduced in three subjects. No lipoatrophy occurred in new injection areas. The clinical results were accompanied by a significant decrease in serum insulinspecific IgE after 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 mo. Insulinspecific IgG showed an evident decrease in five of eight patients, but the difference in mean values was not significant after 6, 18, 24, 30, and 36 mo. With one exception, intradermal skin tests were positive to human, bovine, and porcine insulin before and after human insulin treatment.
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Original Articles|
January 01 1988
Treatment of Allergy to Heterologous Monocomponent Insulin With Human Semisynthetic Insulin: Long-Term Study
Bruno Bruni, MD;
Bruno Bruni, MD
Karen Bruni Diabetes Center
Torino, Italy
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Patrizia Barolo, MD;
Patrizia Barolo, MD
Karen Bruni Diabetes Center
Torino, Italy
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Alberto Blatto, MD;
Alberto Blatto, MD
Karen Bruni Diabetes Center
Torino, Italy
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Maurizio Carlini, MD;
Maurizio Carlini, MD
Karen Bruni Diabetes Center
Torino, Italy
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Silvia Gamba Ansaldi, MD;
Silvia Gamba Ansaldi, MD
Karen Bruni Diabetes Center
Torino, Italy
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Giorgio Grassi, MD
Giorgio Grassi, MD
Karen Bruni Diabetes Center
Torino, Italy
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. B. Bruni, Centra di Diabetologia Karen Bruni, Ospedale Maria Vittoria, Corso Tassoni 44, 10144 Torino, Italy.
Citation
Bruno Bruni, Patrizia Barolo, Alberto Blatto, Maurizio Carlini, Silvia Gamba Ansaldi, Giorgio Grassi; Treatment of Allergy to Heterologous Monocomponent Insulin With Human Semisynthetic Insulin: Long-Term Study. Diabetes Care 1 January 1988; 11 (1): 59–62. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.11.1.59
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