| Definition: |
A test that measures the presence of antibodies against insulin.
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| How the test is performed: |
Adult or child:
Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic, and a tourniquet (an elastic band) or blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm to apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes veins below the tourniquet to distend (fill with blood). A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. During the procedure, the tourniquet is removed to restore circulation. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
Infant or young child:
The area is cleansed with antiseptic and punctured with a sharp needle or a lancet. The blood may be collected in a pipette (small glass tube), on a slide, onto a test strip, or into a small container. Cotton or a bandage may be applied to the puncture site if there is any continued bleeding.
In the laboratory, a radioimmunoassay (a test that tags proteins making them visible for study) is performed on the sample. |
| How to prepare for the test: |
Adults:
No special preparation is necessary.
Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:
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| How the test will feel: |
| When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing. |
| Why the test is performed: |
This test is performed if you are a diabetic and the insulin no longer seems to control your diabetes, or you appear to have an allergic response to the insulin.
This test measures your immune system's response to insulin and the different types of cells present. Your health care provider may use the test to confirm insulin resistance, or to investigate to cause of your insulin allergy. |
| Normal Values: |
| Normally, antibodies against insulin are not present in your blood. |
| What abnormal results mean: |
If IgG and IgMantibodies against insulin are elevated, your body recognizes the insulin to be foreign and may make the insulin less effective or neutralize the insulin. Also, the antibodies may change the time that the insulin acts putting you at risk for low blood sugar. This means that the insulin cannot serve its intended function of moving glucose from the blood stream into the cells. As a result, increased levels of insulin are required for the same therapeutic effect. This phenomena is called insulin resistance.
If the test shows elevated values of IgE antibody against insulin, then your body has developed an allergic response to the medication. This could put you at risk for skin reactions or rarely more severe widespread reactions. Other medications such as antihistamines or low dose injectable steroids may help to lessen the reaction. If reactions have been severe, an in-hospital procedure called desensitization may be necessary. |
| What the risks are: |
Risks associated with venipuncture are slight:
- excessive bleeding
- fainting or feeling lightheaded
- hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
- multiple punctures to locate veins
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| Special considerations: |
| Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others. |
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