Immunotoxicity of Silicone in Female B6C3F1 Mice-180 Day Exposure. Report toNational Toxicology Program

摘要

There is widespread use of silicone-containing medical devices in many surgicaland medical specialties. A variety of aesthetic and reconstructive prostheses contain silicone such as breast, chin, ear and joint prostheses. There are silicone hydrocephalus shunts, fallopian tube clips, cardiac valves, drug release capsules and intraocular lenses, to name just a few of the many applications of implantable silicone. It is estimated that, prior to FDA sanctions, 130,000 American women had breast implantation procedures. Non-implantable applications of silicone include their use in tubing for drains, catheters, dialysis machines and blood oxygenators. There is a paucity of data available on the status of the immune system in the presence of silicone implants. These studies were designed to determine the potential effects of silicone on the immune system and host resistance to selected microbial and tumor models.