Insulin antibodies do not influence the absorption rate of subcutaneously injected insulin.

The influence of insulin antibodies on absorption rate and plasma free insulin concentrations after subcutaneous injection of insulin, was studied in two groups of insulin-treated diabetic patients, one without insulin antibodies (n = 9) and a second with high plasma concentrations of antibodies (n = 14). Except for antibody concentration there were no differences in clinical variables. During 8 h after the injection of 12 U of iodinated neutral human insulin, residual radioactivity at the injection site, plasma glucose, and free and total insulin were measured. Significant differences in absorption rate of insulin were not found between the groups. Plasma glucose (basal value 16.8 +/- 4.4 SD vs 16.1 +/- 4.2 mmol l-1) and free insulin (basal value 8.3 +/- 1.4 vs 11.4 +/- 2.3 mU l-1, maximum after 90 min 36.9 +/- 19.5 vs 30.5 +/- 18.7 mU l-1) were never significantly different between the groups, nor were areas under the curve for free insulin (191.4 +/- 69.2 vs 170.8 +/- 98.6 mU l-1 h). In the high antibody group a small increase in bound insulin was found.