title: Immunohistochemical study of the soft tissue around long-term skin-penetrating titanium implants.
abstract: Bone-anchored percutaneous titanium implants have become a well-established clinical procedure with a low incidence of adverse reactions. However, passage through the skin leads to a breach in the barrier to exogenous pathogens. In the present study, monoclonal antibodies were used to investigate the distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations in the soft tissue around such implants. Eight biopsies from patients with clinically irritated skin, five from non-irritated and eight from skin without skin-penetrating implants were analysed. The number of immune cells was increased in the group of patients with skin penetration compared with patients without skin penetration. In the group with clinical irritation there was an increased level of B-lymphocytes compared with those without irritation. The data suggest that there is an immunological compensation for the mechanical loss in barrier function at these implants and that an antibody-mediated response is present at clinical signs of irritation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Holgers
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tjellström
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bjursten
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced; D018655:Lymphocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014025:Titanium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014025:Titanium