Silicone Breast Implants and activated lymphocytes

[Guest guest]

If anyone has any studies related to this subject now

is the time to pass it on to the aabb national blood

banl collection agency. There are listening!!

Lana

From: " Regulatory " <regulatory@...

<lanadearest@...

Subject: REPLY: Silicone Breast Implants and

activated lymphocytes

Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 09:25:04 -0400

Dear Ms. Transue,

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.

The possibility that silicone activated lymphocytes

could cause problems in a transfusion recipient is

part of the more general concern that many individuals

who donate blood may be sensitized to a very large

number of chemicals or therapeutic drugs. Fortunately,

our experience over decades of transfusion therapy is

that allergic transfusion reactions are rare.

Furthermore, the majority of blood transfusions are

filtered to remove over 99.9% of the lymphocytes

present in the blood component; this presumably has a

protective effect against these types of retains if

they were otherwise to occur.

Blood donor suitability criteria are regulated at a

federal level by the FDA. There is no FDA requirement

to defer donors with silicone implants from blood

donation. Additional safeguards may be put into place

by the AABB when scientific data indicate that this is

indicated. Currently we are unaware of any research

findings that indicate that blood from women with

silicone breast implants presents a hazard to

transfusion recipients. However, as a result of your

inquiry, we plan to locate and review what scientific

information is available on this subject. I apologize

for the delay in responding to you. I had to consult

with several resources.

M. e Carr-Greer, MT (ASCP)SBB

Deputy Director, Regulatory Affairs

AABB

Donating Blood & Organs & Breast Milk

In my latest Kaiser News, they are advertising info

about Organ & Tissue Donors.

If you'd like to call either of these 800#s and find

out what their " SQ " (Silicone Quotient) is, please let

us know.

California Transplant Donor Network 800/553-6667

United Network for Organ Sharing 800/243-6667

Dr Garry wrote this up for us before the IOM

conference in July. many thanks again to him. ~~~

Donation of blood and organs by women with silicone

breast implants A number of studies have demonstrated

that the blood and organs of women with silicone

breast implants (SBI) contain elevated levels of

silicone (and its breakdown product silicon). Silicone

is cytotoxic and immunogenic. Although recipients of

donated blood would have a single exposure (e.g. not

be continuously exposed to silicone from leaking or

ruptured SBI), individuals who receive blood are often

of ill health and persons who are organ recipients are

always gravely ill. Thus, the potential presence of

toxic compounds should be avoided. A further

consideration is that donation of blood or organs

containing even low levels of silicone might sensitize

or create a serological response to silicone in the

blood recipient. Unfortunately, there are no studies

which have addressed the issue of whether or not it is

safe for women with SBI to be blood or organ donors.

In my opinion, women with breast implants should be

strongly discouraged from donating blood or organs.

Last year, U.S. Rep. A. Traficant, Jr. (D-OH)

introduced legislation that would prohibit the

donation of blood and organs by individuals with

silicone breast implants. This bill was a favorable to

women injured by SBI in that it also called for more

research on silicone toxicity and would require

silicone breast implant manufacturers to pay for the

removal of breast implants for any recipient that

requests it. This bill has not yet been passed, but

possible statutory prohibition on blood and organ

donation is another reason why women with implants may

wish to reconsider implantation of SBI. Breast-feeding

and donation of breast milk.

Studies from several research groups have identified

immunological abnormalities in children who breast

feed from women with SBI. Some children have developed

a rare disorder, esophageal dismotility, which is

experienced by some women with scleroderma, an

autoimmune disease. Although these results are from

small studies they are troubling indeed. Obviously,

larger controlled studies are necessary to determine

whether or not infants who breast feed from women with

SBI have experienced an increase in immunological or

other disorders. Many benefits accrue from breast

feeding. However, the evidence at presence is

insufficient to indicate whether or not it is safe to

breast feed with silicone (or saline) breast implants.

In my opinion, women with breast implants,

particularly those with signs and symptoms of

silicone-related disease, should be strongly

discouraged from breast feeding, and prohibited from

donating to breast milk banks.

***********************************

F. Garry, Ph.D. Professor

Department of Microbiology and Immunology SL-38

Tulane University School of Medicine

New Orleans, LA 70112 **