Treatment with insulin glargine (Lantus) increases the proliferative potency of the serum of patients with type-1 diabetes: a pilot study on MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
OBJECTIVE
Insulin glargine (Lantus) stimulates growth of MCF-7 cells stronger than human insulin. We investigated if serum from diabetic patients treated with glargine versus human insulin may display a similar effect.


METHODS
Pairs of serum samples from 31 C-peptide negative type-1 diabetic patients were investigated. In cross-over fashion, 23 patients were treated with glargine plus rapid-acting insulin analogues, and similar doses of human NPH and rapid-acting insulin. For comparison, eight patients were treated with insulin detemir (Levemir) and human NPH. MCF-7 cells were incubated with 10% serum and proliferation was assessed after 72 hours.


RESULTS
Serum containing insulin glargine was 1.11(95% CI 1.05-1.18) fold more mitogenic than human insulin-containing serum (p < 0.005); mitogenicity of serum containing detemir was 0.99(95% CI 0.98-1.02) fold that of human insulin-containing serum.


CONCLUSIONS
The serum of diabetic patients was slightly stronger mitogenic when using glargine as compared to human insulin or detemir for treatment.
Mayer
Doris
D
Hormones and Signal Transduction Group, German Cancer Research Centre, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Im Neuenheimer Feld 581, Heidelberg, Germany. d.mayer@dkfz.de
Chantelau
Ernst
E
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002477:Cells; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069057:Insulin Detemir; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors
D002096:C-Peptide; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D007328:Insulin; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D000069057:Insulin Detemir