Antipolymer antibodies in Danish women with silicone breast implants.
OBJECTIVE
To use a new immunologic assay to evaluate antipolymer antibody (APA) levels among women with silicone breast implants (SBIs).


METHODS
Women (n = 186) were identified through Danish population-based registers and categorized into six groups defined by prior breast surgery (silicone breast implantation/breast reduction/no breast surgery) and by the presence or absence of a prior hospital diagnosis of soft-tissue rheumatism (muscular rheumatism, ICD-8 codes 717.90 and 717.99). The women underwent blood tests, including an APA test, a clinical examination, and an interview focusing on rheumatic complaints. Blood samples were tested blindly. The severity of rheumatic symptoms/signs was scored from 1 (none) to 5 (severe) based on the clinical examination and interview.


RESULTS
Women with SBIs did not have higher levels of APA than women without SBIs. The majority of women with SBIs had mild rheumatic complaints, and the severity of their symptoms was not related to APA levels. Among women who had previously been hospitalized because of soft-tissue rheumatism, there were more fibromyalgia cases, and their symptoms were more severe compared with those women without prior soft-tissue rheumatism; however, APA levels were not higher among these women. There was a significant difference in APA measurements resulting from between-kit variation (p less 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data did not demonstrate higher APA levels among women with SBIs compared with controls. The large variation observed between the individual plates in the APA test should be evaluated in future studies.
Jensen
Bente
B
Parker Institute, Frederiksberg Hospital, P.G. Ramms Allé 1,3th, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark. bjensen@aab11.dk
Wittrup
Irene Hechmann
IH
Wiik
Allan
A
Friis
Søren
S
Bliddal
Henning
H
Thomsen
Birthe
B
McLaughlin
Joseph K
JK
Danneskiold-Samsøe
Bente
B
Olsen
Jørgen H
JH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D018427:Breast Implants; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012826:Silicone Elastomers
D000906:Antibodies; D012826:Silicone Elastomers