[Therapeutic complications from insulin antibodies--two case reports]

Immunological complications of insulin therapy are extremely rare, since highly purified insulins, especially human semi- or biosynthetic insulin preparations became available for treatment of diabetes mellitus. Insulin antibodies of the immunoglobulin G or immunoglobulin E class can develop in 10-60%, however, in low titers in patients treated exclusively with human insulin. In rare cases these antibodies assume clinical significance, if the antigenic potential of the insulin used is high enough and if genetic predisposition exists. Two case reports presented here confirm this concept.