Anti-insulin antibodies and retinopathy in juvenile onset type-1 diabetes

• Main Authors: Sharma K, Khosla P, Tiwari H, Sharma R, Bajaj J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 1991-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
• Online Access: http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=1991;volume=39;issue=4;spage=174;epage=175;aulast=Sharma

Juvenile diabetics have severe loss of beta cell function and require replacement therapy with insulin. Insulin antigenicity can produce anti-insulin antibodies resulting in allergic reactions and insulin resistance. The role of insulin-anti-insulin antibody complexes in the development and progress of chronic diabetic complications like microangiopathy is not very clear. In the present study, there was statistically a significant trend of higher insulin antibody binding levels in IDDM patients who developed retinopathy. Though there was a trend of higher insulin antibody in IDDM patients with retinopathy, there was no association between insulin antibody and HLA antigen which some authors have reported.