TY - JOUR
T1 - Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and exposure to breast implants
AU - Karlson, Elizabeth W.
AU - Tanasijevic, Milenko
AU - Hankinson, Susan E.
AU - Liang, Matthew H.
AU - Colditz, Graham A.
AU - Speizer, Frank E.
AU - Schur, Peter H.
PY - 2001/3/26
Y1 - 2001/3/26
N2 - Background: Animal studies and uncontrolled case series in humans have suggested a possible association between breast implant exposure and monoclonal gammopathy. Objective: To assess whether there is an increased risk of monoclonal gammopathy in women with silicone breast implants, we conducted a retrospective study of women exposed to breast implants and matched nonexposed women nested within a prospective cohort study (the Nurses' Health Study). Methods: We used serum protein electrophoresis and immunoglobulin subtype by immunofixation to test 288 women exposed to breast implants and 288 age-matched, nonexposed women who previously had provided a blood sample (1989-1990) for monoclonal proteins. Results: Among the women exposed to breast implants, 5 had monoclonal gammopathy of undetermiMed significance (MGUS) compared with 4 women among those not exposed (odds ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-6.39). The distribution of isotypes was similar across exposure groups. The exposed women with MGUS tended to be older than the nonexposed women (mean age, 60.4 years vs 52.5 years, respectively; P=.03). None of the 9 women with MGUS had reported multiple myeloma or other hematologic malignancies up through 1996. Conclusions: We find little evidence to support a substantial increased risk of MGUS in women exposed to breast implants. Larger studies are needed to determine if a more modest relationship exists.
AB - Background: Animal studies and uncontrolled case series in humans have suggested a possible association between breast implant exposure and monoclonal gammopathy. Objective: To assess whether there is an increased risk of monoclonal gammopathy in women with silicone breast implants, we conducted a retrospective study of women exposed to breast implants and matched nonexposed women nested within a prospective cohort study (the Nurses' Health Study). Methods: We used serum protein electrophoresis and immunoglobulin subtype by immunofixation to test 288 women exposed to breast implants and 288 age-matched, nonexposed women who previously had provided a blood sample (1989-1990) for monoclonal proteins. Results: Among the women exposed to breast implants, 5 had monoclonal gammopathy of undetermiMed significance (MGUS) compared with 4 women among those not exposed (odds ratio, 1.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-6.39). The distribution of isotypes was similar across exposure groups. The exposed women with MGUS tended to be older than the nonexposed women (mean age, 60.4 years vs 52.5 years, respectively; P=.03). None of the 9 women with MGUS had reported multiple myeloma or other hematologic malignancies up through 1996. Conclusions: We find little evidence to support a substantial increased risk of MGUS in women exposed to breast implants. Larger studies are needed to determine if a more modest relationship exists.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035953123&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1001/archinte.161.6.864
DO - 10.1001/archinte.161.6.864
M3 - Article
C2 - 11268230
AN - SCOPUS:0035953123
SN - 0003-9926
VL - 161
SP - 864
EP - 867
JO - Archives of internal medicine
JF - Archives of internal medicine
IS - 6
ER -