title: "Insulin" allergy due to zinc.
abstract: An investigation of two unrelated patients who had local cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions after injection of any commercially available insulin preparation has shown that the cause of the allergy was zinc. Zinc-insulin and zinc sulphate induced transformation and proliferation of peripheral-blood lymphocytes from these patients; they also induced the production of a specific leucocyte inhibitory factor. Intradermal skin-tests for zinc were positive in both patients. Similar studies carried out in a patient whose cutaneous allergy to insulin was corrected by changing from mixed beef-pork to pure pork insulin were negative. Zinc-free insulin did not produce any allergy in the first patients. The number of patients in whom zinc (which is present in all commercially available insulin preparations) is a cause of "insulin" allergy is unknown. These patients may by identified by intradermal skin-tests. This previously unrecognised allergy should be considered in all patients whose insulin allergy does not respond to conventional therapy.
mesh_terms: D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004340:Drug Contamination; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000175:diagnosis; D007328:Insulin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods; D015032:Zinc / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D015032:Zinc