Treatment of allergy to heterologous monocomponent insulin with human semisynthetic insulin. Long-term study.

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 insulin-specific IgE after 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 mo. Insulin-specific 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.