Differential Response of Insulin-Dependent Diabetics to Infusions of Bovine and Highly-Purified Porcine Insulins: A Preliminary Report

Abstract

Highly purified and single peak porcine insulins have been available now for nearly eight years. More recently single peak bovine insulin has been introduced and highly purified bovine insulins are on the point of being commercially available. The reason for the introduction of these purer insulins, apart from pharmaceutical desirability, has rested mainly on the discovery of anti-insulin antibodies in the serum of nearly all diabetic patients treated with traditional insulin preparations (1). It was originally thought that this antigenicity of the older bovine insulins was due to the structural differences between bovine and human insulin or to abnormal metabolism of the injected insulin. It is now clear, however, that the antigenicity is greater in impure insulin preparations. The a-component is particularly antigenic while antibodies to proinsulin and insulin derivatives are also found (2). In addition Bloom and his coworkers (1976) have shown that patients treated with conventional bovine insulin preparations have significant antibody titres against other pancreatic hormones such as pancreatic polypeptide, glucagon and VIP.