Maintenance of Insulin Therapy by Desensitization in Insulin Allergy Patient

Abstract

Allergic reaction to human insulin is uncommon. But they can cause mild to severe symptoms such as dyspnea, hypotensive shock, etc. Here we report the case of a patient with type 2 diabetes and insulin allergy successfully managed with desensitization. A 60-year-ol d man with insulin allergy was transferred. He had poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (fasting blood glucose 230 mg/dL). He developed itching sense and erythema at the injection sites of human insulin in a few minutes. And serum IgE level was elevated to 1618.0 IU/mL. The insulin was changed to other preparations, including short and long-acting insulin analogues, with similar responses. He was commenced on twice a day injection protocol in addition to his oral hypoglycemic agents, and achieved fair control (fasting blo od glucose 100 mg/dL) on 24 units of Novomix Flex Pen per day, with little or no skin or systemic reaction. This is the case report of insulin allergy in type 2 diabetes being successfully managed by desensitization. (KOREAN DIABETES J 32:529 -531, 2008)