Korean J Med.  2009 May;76(5):600-604.

A case of insulin autoimmune syndrome related to alpha-lipoic acid

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon, Korea. jangyisun@hanmail.net
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine, Eulji University School of Medicine, Daejeon, Korea.

Abstract

Insulin autoimmune syndrome is characterized by spontaneous hypoglycemia, high concentrations of serum immunoreactive insulin, and the presence of autoantibodies to insulin without previous insulin injection. A 71-year-old woman with diabetes, who had been treated with oral hypoglycemic agents, suffered from frequent hypoglycemia. High insulin levels and the presence of insulin autoantibodies were shown, so insulin autoimmune syndrome was diagnosed. Drugs containing sulfhydryl groups play an important role in the pathogenesis of insulin autoimmune syndrome. Alpha-lipoic acid, which contains a sulfhydryl group, was administered before the onset of hypoglycemia. The patient's human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type was HLA-Cw4 and DRB1*0406. There is a strong correlation between HLA-DRB1*0406 and insulin autoimmune syndrome. The patient was treated with prednisolone and has not had a hypoglycemic attack since. We report a case of insulin autoimmune syndrome, possibly associated with alpha-lipoic acid.

Keyword

Insulin autoimmune syndrome; Alpha-lipoic acid; HLA-DRB1*0406

MeSH Terms

Aged
Autoantibodies
Female
HLA-C Antigens
HLA-DRB1 Chains
Humans
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemic Agents
Insulin
Leukocytes
Prednisolone
Thioctic Acid
Autoantibodies
HLA-C Antigens
HLA-DRB1 Chains
Hypoglycemic Agents
Insulin
Prednisolone
Thioctic Acid
Full Text Links
  • KJM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr