Abstract
Since animal and human experiments have shown insulin impurities to be highly immunogenic causing the formation of IgG antibody, we studied the allergenic potency of the three components of crystalline bovine insulin (a-, b-component and specially separated (SS)-Insulin) and determined the immunologic properties of IgE antibodies by means of PCA reactions. In rats immunized with a-component in combination with Bordetella pertussis and A1(OH)_3, gel, high levels of specific IgE antibodies were demonstrated, while SS-Insulin produced almost no specific IgE antibodies. Specific IgE antibodies against a-component cross-reacted with b-component and to a lesser degree with SS-Insulin. B-component specific antibodies cross-reacted with a-component and to a lesser degree with SS-Insulin. In PCA inhibition tests, the inhibitory effect of SS-Insulin was found to be markedly lower than that of either a-component or b-components, indicating that the PCA reaction is allergen-specific and that SS-Insulin is less immunoreactive than the other two components.
