Key words: autoimmune disease, bioeffects, breast implants, silicone gel, research
Autoimmune diseases have been reported in women with silicone breast implants. The presence of autoantibodies in some of the women, as well as studies in experimental animals, suggest that silicone may play a role in these adverse effects on the immune system. The goal of this project is to determine if autoantibodies will be formed in
Our earlier studies have shown that silicone gel/oil can promote autoantibody production against the connective tissue proteins, collagen, and can migrate from the implant site to other parts of the body.
Based on our results in experimental animals, we have looked for autoantibodies to connective tissue proteins in women with breast implants. Serum samples of 180 women have been analyzed for autoantibodies to collagen, a connective tissue protein. Patients included women with or without breast implants, with or without autoimmune symptoms, and from normal controls. Autoantibodies to collagen were detected in patients with connective tissue disease + silicone breast implants, with connective tissue disease without silicone breast implants, and with silicone breast implants without connective tissue disease. Autoantibodies to collagen were not detected in control sera from normal volunteers. This data base will be expanded to include more patients in order to further substantiate these findings.
Published studies also have shown that animals with autoimmune disease produce antibodies against their own DNA. We have found anti-DNA antibodies in the serum of experimental animals injected with silicone gel/oil. Based on these results we will determine if women with breast implants also produce autoantibodies against DNA.