[Purity and antigenicity of the new insulin preparations]

A short review on new types of insulin preparations purified by chromatography is presented. The purity of these new chromatographed insulins, which have almost completely replaced the conventional types of insulin, has been considerably improved. Our own investigations have revealed significantly lower antigenicity of porcine depot preparations compared with beef or mixed beef-pork insulins. By means of gel filtration and additional anion exchange chromatography the antigenicity of porcine insulin can be significantly reduced. Monocomponent insulins prepared by these methods produce low titers of insulin antibodies in only one third of diabetics treated by insulin for the first time. Mixed beef-pork Lente Insulin purified by single chromatography is also less antigenic than Lente Insulin of conventional purity, but more antigenic than pork insulin (e.g. Monotard). Pork insulin purified by chromatography is indicated in cases of insulin allergy, insulin resistance and lipoatrophy, and also for first insulin treatment in younger and middle-aged diabetics.