Diabetes, Vol 36, Issue 3 305-309, Copyright © 1987 by American Diabetes Association
Adverse effects of insulin antibodies on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin profiles in diabetic patients without immune insulin resistance. Implications for intensive insulin regimens
TW Van Haeften, VJ Heiling and JE Gerich
To assess the possible influence of moderate titer insulin antibodies on
diabetic glycemic control, we examined insulin-antibody equilibrium binding
characteristics, postprandial glucose tolerance, and plasma free-insulin
profiles after subcutaneous injection of both porcine and human insulin
(0.15 U/kg) in 12 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus under
conditions stimulating intensive insulin therapy. The patients' antibodies
bound porcine and human insulin indistinguishably, and their plasma glucose
and free-insulin profiles after ingestion of a standard meal were similar
with both insulins. Initial increases in plasma free-insulin levels after
injection of both insulins were negatively correlated with both
insulin-antibody binding (r = -.55, P less than .006) and postprandial
hyperglycemia (peak level r = -.56, P less than .006); the latter was
positively correlated with insulin-antibody binding (r = .48, P less than
.02). The effects of insulin antibodies on postprandial plasma free-insulin
and glucose levels could be accounted for substantially by the association
constant of the high-affinity insulin-antibody binding sites (K1); patients
in the highest quartile for K1 had significantly slower initial increments
in plasma free insulin (0.31 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.46 +/- 0.06 microU/min, P less
than .05) and greater postprandial hyperglycemia (peak value 237 +/- 10 vs.
166 +/- 12 mg/dl, P less than .001) than patients in the lowest quartile.
We conclude that moderate insulin-antibody titers commonly found in
insulin-treated patients can slow the early increase in plasma free insulin
after subcutaneous injection and that this impairs postprandial glucose
tolerance; such an effect may limit the effectiveness of intensive insulin
therapy.