ASSESSMENT OF VIABILITY AND PROLIFERATION OF IN-VIVO SILICONE-PRIMED LYMPHOCYTES AFTER IN-VITRO REEXPOSURE TO SILICONE

The functional response of peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from 22 patients with silicone gel-filled breast implants was assessed afte r in vitro re-exposure to silicone. Using cell culture test methods to quantify proliferation and viability and/or activation of lymphocyte microcultures, i.e., the uptake of tritiated thymidine (H-3-TdR uptake test) and the reduction of formazan salts (MTT assay), interesting da ta were obtained. Peripheral blood lymphocytes purified from patients wearing silicone gel-filled breast implants react in vitro to silicone showing a statistically significant increase of both proliferation an d viability, while healthy subjects do not respond on in vitro exposur e to silicone. Differences resulted even more statistically significan t when patients were divided into two groups depending on the type of surgery they underwent: patients with breast augmentation for aestheti c reasons seem to have an increased responsiveness in vitro to silicon e compared to patients who experienced a reconstructive surgery of the breast. Although they are still preliminary, being referred to a limi ted population, these results suggest that the lymphocytes of patients with silicone gel-filled breast implants could be sensitized in vivo toward silicone; the re-exposure of these cells to silicone leads to a higher functional response which could be looked for by using quantit ative in vitro test methods. (C) 1995 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.