Lack of autoantibody expression in children born to mothers with silicone breast implants

Objective. We determined systematically the prevalence of autoantibodies in children born to mothers with silicone breast implants and the relationships with clinical symptoms and methods of exposure. Methods. Autoantibody expression was determined in 80 children born to mothers with silicone implants and in 42 controls. A clinical assessment score was assigned to each patient. Antinuclear antibodies as well as antibodies to mitochondrial, smooth muscle, striational, myocardial, parietal cell, reticulin tissues, or subcellular compartments were measured by indirect fluorescent assay. Antibodies to nRNP (U1-RNP/snRNP); Sm; SS-A; SS-B; Sc1- 70; thyroid microsome; immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgM, and IgA antibodies to cardiolipin; and antibodies to native and denatured human types I and II collagen were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum complement components C3 and C4 and IgM rheumatoid factor were measured by nephelometry. Results. Autoantibody prevalence was not significantly different between children born to mothers with silicone implants and controls. The presence of autoantibodies was not related to the children's clinical symptoms or to the method of exposure. Conclusions. Determination of autoantibody production is of limited clinical utility in the evaluation of children born to mothers with silicone breast implants.