ORIGINAL ARTICLES
IMAJ | volume 27
Journal 7, July 2025
pages: 432-436
Autoantibodies Against Autonomic Nervous System Receptors in Women with Silicone Breast Implants: Association with Dry Eyes and Dry Mouth
1 Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
2 Recanati School of Medicine, Reichman University, Herzliya, Israel
3 Department of Medicine B, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
4 Israel Defense Forces, Medical Corps, Tel Hashomer, Israel
5 Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
6 Department of Military Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
7 CellTrend GmbH, Luckenwalde, Germany
Summary
Background:
Silicone breast implants (SBIs) are associated with subjective and autoimmune related manifestations, ranging from reported symptoms such as depression and fatigue to diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome and systemic sclerosis.
Objectives:
To examine whether autoantibodies directed against autonomic nervous system receptors are associated with reported symptoms of dry mouth and eyes in patients with SBIs.
Methods:
ELISA assays were used to evaluate a panel of 11 autoantibodies in the sera of patients with SBIs and age-matched healthy controls.
Results:
Four autoantibodies (anti-angiotensin II type 1 receptor, anti-β1 adrenergic receptor, anti-muscarinic receptors M2, and anti-muscarinic receptors MR) had significantly lower median titers in SBI recipients who reported dry mouth compared to the control group (9.9 vs. 15.7,
P < 0.001; 8.8 vs. 23.3,
P < 0.001; 3.2 vs. 4.7,
P < 0.001; and 6 vs. 8.8,
P = 0.0011, respectively). Anti-muscarinic receptor M4 had significantly lower median titers in patients with SBIs who reported dry eyes compared to the control group (5.9 vs. 8.8,
P = 0.0039).
Conclusions:
A dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system in SBI recipients was correlated with the presence of dry mouth and dry eyes. Our results emphasize the need to further investigate the proposed involvement of the autonomic nervous system in subjective symptoms reported by SBI recipients.