Severe insulin resistance secondary to insulin antibodies: successful treatment with the immunosuppressant MMF.
We have evaluated the use of the immunosuppressant mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in the treatment of severe insulin resistance caused by neutralising anti-insulin antibodies in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). A 12-yr-old boy with a 5-month history of T1DM developed severe immunological insulin resistance secondary to human insulin antibodies. Various different treatment modalities, including lispro insulin, intravenous insulin, prednisolone and immunoabsorption, were tried, all without a sustained response to treatment. Although the introduction of the immunosuppressant MMF only resulted in a small reduction in haemoglobin A1c (from 10.9 to 9.8%), it did result in a significant reduction in insulin requirements from 6000 to 250 U/d (75 to 3.1 U/kg/d), disappearance of the severe nocturnal hypoglycaemia associated with high titres of insulin antibodies and a reduction in the level of these antibodies from 34.6 to 2.7 mg/dL. MMF may be considered as a means of immunosuppression in patients with markedly raised insulin antibodies whose diabetes cannot be controlled with insulin alone.
Department of Paediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology, University College Hospital, London, UK.
T
T
Segal
Ea
E
Webb
R
R
Viner
C
C
Pusey
G
G
Wild
J
J
Allgrove
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007330:Insulin Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007328:Insulin; D007330:Insulin Antibodies; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D011239:Prednisolone