ABSTRACT
The placenta is considered to be impermeable or only slightly permeable to insulin. Insulin antibodies are transferred from mother to foetus in man and in guinea pigs. The passage of insulin-131I from mother to foetus was studied in guinea pigs with and without antibodies against insulin. Antibody-bound insulin-131I was recovered in plasma from foetuses of immunized pregnant guinea pigs, at intervals of more than 5 hours after the injection of insulin-131I to the mother. The foetal levels of insulin-131I were rather low, the highest recorded value being 27% of the maternal plasma concentration. This peak was reached 32 hours after the injection. No insulin-131I was found in the foetuses of non-immunized guinea pigs.
Severe Insulin-resistant Diabetes due to Insulin Antibodies Associated with Eosinophilia