Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients with silicone breast implants

Background: As there is still controversy regarding the effects of silicone breast implants on the immune system, the current study investigated the composition of peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients after augmentation mammaplasty with silicone breast implants. Methods: The authors' prospective study included 41 female patients (average age, 40 12 years) with unilateral/bilateral capsular contracture (Baker types I through TV) after cosmetic breast augmentation. Other fibrosing or autoimmunologic diseases were excluded at the time of implantation. Peripheral blood samples from all patients were examined (n = 41). Cells positive to antigens CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, and CD16/CD56 were assessed by flow cytometric analysis and compared with a reference range of hematologically normal adults. Results: The vast majority of the peripheral blood lymphocytes were T lymphocytes (CD3(+); mean, 74.4 percent; range, 21.1 to 76.6 percent). The mean percentage of B lymphocytes (CD3(-)/CD19(+)) was 11.3 percent (range, 9.9 to 12.6 percent). A small percentage (mean, 11 percent; range, 9.1 to 12.9 percent) consisted of natural killer cells (CD3(-)/CD16(+)/CD56(+)). The peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets were CD3(+)/CD4(+) with a mean of 45.7 percent (range, 42.9 to 48.5 percent) and CD3(+)/CD8(+) with a mean of 22.1 percent (range, 19.8 to 24.3 percent), similar to those in healthy controls. Conclusions: No statistically significant difference in the distribution of peripheral blood lymphocytes could be detected in patients with silicone breast implants in comparison with other Caucasian adults. As far as lymphocytes are concerned, there was no evidence of systemic proinflammatory effects of silicone breast implants.