RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INSULIN-ANTIBODIES AND METABOLIC CONTROL IN TYPE-I DIABETES-MELLITUS

1. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether a change in insulin therapy from bovine to purified porcine insulin would result in a decreased level of insulin antibodies (IA) in type I diabetic patients and whether there would be better metabolic control.2. Insulin antibodies were measured by ELISA. Fifteen type I diabetic patients were prospectively followed for 8 months with monthly evaluations after changing insulin therapy from bovine to purified porcine insulin.3. Group I patients (N = 4) had IA greater-than-or-equal-to 1.5 (value obtained by dividing the ELISA absorbance of the tested serum by the absorbance of a standard serum) at the beginning of the study. For group I patients, the modification of insulin therapy caused a 57% reduction in insulin antibody levels, and this reduction was correlated with a decrease in 24-hour glycosuria (r(s) = 0.66, P 60 pmol/l) showed lower levels of 24-h glycosuria, glycated protein and glycated hemoglobin. Furthermore, in this group of patients a negative correlations was found between C-peptide and insulin antibody levels (r(s) = -0.36, P < 0.01).5. We conclude that insulin antibodies could be one of the factors having a detrimental effect on metabolic control.ESCOLA PAULISTA MED SCH,DISCIPLINA ENDOCRINOL & METABOL,BR-04034 SAO PAULO,BRAZILESCOLA PAULISTA MED SCH,DISCIPLINA ENDOCRINOL & METABOL,BR-04034 SAO PAULO,BRAZILWeb of Scienc