These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Hypoglycemia due to serum-complexed insulin in a patient with diabetes mellitus.
    Author: Albert SG, Popp DA.
    Journal: Diabetes Care; 1984; 7(3):285-90. PubMed ID: 6428841.
    Abstract:
    A 28-year-old woman with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus presented with a "hyperlabile" state of hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis alternating with hypoglycemia. Measurements of total and free insulin levels suggested that the clinical syndrome may have been due to antibody binding of insulin. Equilibrium analysis of insulin binding to the patient's serum demonstrated two classes of anti-insulin activities. The first class was of high affinity (dissociation constant approximately equal to 10(-9) M) and low capacity (150 microU/ml). At low total serum insulin concentrations, most of the circulating insulin was bound to the high-affinity binding activity, and the patient presented with hyperglycemia or ketosis. The second class of insulin binding activity had a lower affinity (dissociation constant approximately equal to 5 X 10(-7) M). The insulin that was bound to this low-affinity serum substance still maintained biologic activity in vivo. Isophane insulin (NPH) had a markedly prolonged serum half-life, which resulted in delayed hypoglycemia. Serum insulin complexes--that is, bound insulin--may not be "inactive" but may contribute to total insulin action. A determination of insulin activity, not only free insulin levels, may help explain hypoglycemia in selected patients with diabetes mellitus.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]