Research on a new type of antiinsulin antibody in a diabetic female patient: the cytotoxic antibody. antiinsulin cytotoxic antibody

• Published in: Allergologia et immunopathologia Vol. 4; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Mathov, E, Greiding, L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain 01-01-1976
• Subjects: Aged; Binding, Competitive; Complement System Proteins; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; Desensitization, Immunologic; Diabetes Mellitus - immunology; Female; Humans; Immunization, Passive; Immunoglobulin E - analysis; Immunoglobulin G - analysis; Insulin Antibodies - analysis; Insulin Resistance; Leukocytes - immunology
• ISSN: 0301-0546

A study was carried out on a diabetic patient showing allergy to insulin, with urticaria and Quincke's edema, apparently owing to sensitization with IgE antibodies. By means of a hyposensitizing treatment her allergy improved due to the building up of IgG protecting antibodies, but at the same time she showed resistance to insulin, probably owing to IgG antibodies as well. This suggest that caution should be exerted before applying hyposensitization with insulin on diabetic patients allergic to the hormone. We were able to describe on the same patient a type II sensitization caused by a cytotoxic antibody against insulin. It was shown that this antibody agglutinates leukocytes which had been previously incubated with insulin and damage occurred when complement was present. Those effects could be especifically inhibited when the antigen (insulin) was added to the medium. The antibody belongs to the IgG group and it acts both in vivo and in vitro. In the case under study, the cytotoxic antibody disappeared as soon as treatment with insulin was discontinued for a year, and reappeared when renewed. It does not seem to occur very frequently, for it was not found in 20 consecutive diabetic patients under insulin treatment.