Silicone-Injected Mice Produce More Immune Proteins

[Guest guest]

Note from Ilena: Unfortuanately ... this has been

removed from the original archive. I'm happy to have

found the study in Google archives.

http://unisci.com/stories/20002/0523006.htm

Silicone-Injected Mice Produce More Immune Proteins

Mice exposed to silicone oils or gels develop

immune-system abnormalities, according to researchers

from Rochester General Hospital and the University of

Florida.

They report their findings in the May issue of the

journal Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology.

" Although most published epidemiological studies have

found little evidence of systemic autoimmune disease

associated with silicone breast implants, there still

remains a question of whether silicones can cause

local and/or systemic immune dysfunction, " the

researchers say.

To answer this question, the researchers injected mice

with silicone gel and silicone oil to see what would

happen.

Compared to control mice, the silicone-injected mice

produced significantly more of certain immune system

proteins in a pattern similar to experimentally

produced lupus in mice.

It is important to note, however, that silicone did

not induce the development of autoantibodies.

" These observations may be relevant to understanding

the vague and often poorly defined autoimmune-like

phenomena occurring in certain individuals with

silicone implants, " say the researchers. " However,

further experimental and clinical studies will be

necessary to address this question. "

(J.O. Naim, M. Satoh, N.A. Buehner, K.M.L. Ippolito,

H. Yoshida, D. Nusz, L. Kurtelawicz, S.F. Cramer, and

W.H. Reeves. 2000. Induction of hypergammaglobulinemia

and macrophage activation by silicone gels and oils in

female A.SW mice. Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory

Immunology, 7:

366-370.)

23-May-2000