Allergy in the Diabetic Patient

Allergies are physical hypersensitive reactions to normally harmless substances. For daily practice in terms of allergy in the diabetic patient, knowledge of type I allergy, the so-called immediate-type allergy, and type IV allergy, the so-called delayed-type allergy, is of importance. In diabetic patients, two main allergies are described in scientific literature: (i) allergy to insulin preparations (mainly manifesting as type I allergy) and (ii) allergy to medical devices, i.e., mainly components of glucose sensors and insulin pumps and/or their adhesives (type IV allergy). The subsequently listed exemplary allergens have been described in the case of suspected allergic contact dermatitis in diabetic patients utilizing a glucose monitoring device and/or insulin pump: 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate, 2,2′-methylenebis(6-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol) monoacrylate, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, benzoylcyclohexanol, colophonium, cyanoacrylate, dimethyl adipate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, epoxy resin, ethyl cyanoacrylate, isobornyl acrylate (IBOA), N,N-dimethylacrylamide, phenoxypoly(ethylenoxy) ethylacrylate, β-carboxyethyl acrylate, and γ-butyrolactone. In this, not just the plaster’s glue but also the device’s individual parts should be taken into consideration as potential source of exposure.