Korean J Med.  2006 Dec;71(6):683-687.

A case of autoimmune insulin syndrome

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan, Korea. nhkim@kumc.or.kr

Abstract

Autoimmune insulin syndrome is characterized by a combination of fasting hypoglycemia, high total serum insulin concentrations, and the presence of autoantibodies to the native human insulin in serum. A healthy 69-year-old man developed spontaneous hypoglycemia after being given some medications for the common cold. His laboratory finding shows endogenous hyperinsulinism. Therefore, an insulinoma was suspected but the imaging study shows no mass lesion in the pancreas and the anti-insulin antibody titer was high(>100U/mL). He had no specific medication history except for a treatment of a current upper respiratory infection (URI). Among the URI medication, it was found that N-acetylcysteine contains a sulfhydryl group and could induce autoimmunization. The patient was treated with corticosteroid for 3 months. His anti-insulin antibody titer had decreased to normal level and has not shown any hypoglycemic episodes for more than one and a half years. We present this case with a review of relevant literature.

Keyword

Fasting hypoglycemia; Insulin antibodies; Acetylcysteine; Hyperinsulinism

MeSH Terms

Acetylcysteine
Aged
Autoantibodies
Common Cold
Humans
Hyperinsulinism
Hypoglycemia
Insulin Antibodies
Insulin*
Insulinoma
Pancreas
Acetylcysteine
Autoantibodies
Insulin
Insulin Antibodies
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