Long-term follow-up of methimazole-associated insulin autoimmune syndrome: a rare case report

Abstract

Insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS) is a rare cause of hypoglycemia and is characterized by the presence of insulin autoantibodies and fasting or late postprandial hypoglycemia. The number of reports on the association of long-term follow-up of IAS in China is limited. We herein report a case of drug-induced IAS in a 44-year-old Chinese woman. She had been taking methimazole for Graves’ disease and had subsequently presented with recurrent hypoglycemic episodes. Laboratory assessments on admission revealed that her serum insulin level was significantly elevated (>1000 µIU/mL) and that she was positive for serum insulin autoantibody, leading to a diagnosis of IAS. Human leukocyte antigen DNA typing identified *04:06/*09:01:02, an immunogenetic determinant associated with IAS. After treatment with prednisone for 2 months, the hypoglycemic episodes disappeared, her serum insulin level gradually declined, and her insulin antibody levels became negative. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for methimazole to trigger autoimmune hypoglycemia in people with a genetic predisposition.