Determination of the ability of a medical device to interact with the
immune system currently involves assessment of the immunogenic potenti
al and biocompatibility of the device or an extract of the device. How
ever, implants are often in the body for extended periods of time and/
or are placed by a surgical procedure that in and of itself will gener
ate an acute inflammatory response, This symposium discussed studies t
hat have been performed to evaluate the immunogenicity of various devi
ces consisting of several different compositions (i.e., silicone, meta
ls, and latex) in contact with different anatomical sites, the ability
of a device to modulate an inflammatory response generated by a surgi
cal procedure or trauma, and the response of the body to a material le
ft in place for extended periods of time, This symposium brought toget
her scientists from many different disciplines to begin to identify an
d fill in the gaps in this area. (C) 1997 Society of Toxicology.