SUPPRESSED NATURAL-KILLER-CELL ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH SILICONE BREAST IMPLANTS - REVERSAL UPON EXPLANTATION

We have previously shown that natural killer (NK) cell activity is sig nificantly suppressed in patients with silicone breast implants. These patients were symptomatic and the suppression of natural killer cell activity was associated with additional significant immunological abno rmalities (Vojdani et al., 1992a). Our studies have recently been conf irmed by Smith et al. (1994), who described natural killer cell activi ty suppression following exposure to silicone gel, and reversal upon r emoval of the gel. This study has been designed to evaluate natural ki ller cell activities in symptomatic women with silicone breast implant s and again after explantation of the implants. Each patient served as her own control. Our findings show a marked significant increase in p reviously suppressed natural killer cell activity in 50% of the patien ts. In the other 50%, no change ol suppressed NK activity was observed These findings are compatible with recent studies in experimental ani mals, which show that administration of silicone reduces natural kille r cell activity, and that this is reversible upon removal of the silic one. Since NK cells are important in the control of tumor cell growth, we propose here that patients with reduced NK cell activity are at a higher risk of developing cancer, a concept recently described in expe rimental animals (Potter et at, 1994; Salhon et al., 1994).