Comparative Trials with Monocomponent (MC) and Monospecies (MS) Pork Insulins in the Treatment of Diabetes mellitus. Influence on Antibody Levels, on Insulin Requirement and on Some Complications

Abstract

Levels of anti-insulin antibodies (AAI) in serum, and insulin requirement have been studied for two years in six groups of diabetics treated with different kinds of insulin. The patients in the first three groups had never been treated with insulin; group 1 was treated with Monocomponent (MC) insulins, group 2 with Monospecies pork (MS) insulins and group 3 with commercial insulins. In group 1 there was a negligible and transitory rise, in group 2 there was a moderate rise and in group 3 there was a marked increase of AAI. The patients in group 4, 5, 6 had been treated for at least one year with commercial insulins; group 4 was switched over to MC insulins, group 5 to MS insulins; group 6 was studied for control purposes. At the beginning of the study AAI levels were comparable in these latter groups; thereafter in group 4 there was a striking reduction of AAI, in group 5 there was a relevant, but less marked reduction. In group 4 there was also a significant reduction of insulin requirement. A marked improvement in lipodystrophy and allergic phenomena was observed in some patients in group 4. Two further patients with a severe resistance to insulin, a very high binding capacity for MS and MC insulin, and a moderate or very high binding capacity for human insulin did not improve with MC insulins.