Immunogenicity of Insulin

Abstract

Highly purified bovine and porcine insulins (single component insulin) did not produce antibodies in rabbits, and the highly purified porcine insulin was less immunogenic in diabetic patients than USP porcine insulin. In rabbits one porcine high molecular weight fraction (peak A) and two bovine high molecular weight fractions (peak A and peak B) separated from USP insulin by Sephadex chromatography were immunogenic, producing increases in the amount of 125I-labeled single component insulin bound by the serum. Both peaks (A and B) derived from bovine insulin produced significantly greater insulin binding in rabbits than did the same peaks derived from porcine insulin. In diabetic patients single component porcine insulin produced less binding of insulin to the serum than did USP insulin.