Long-Term Biodegradation of Polyacrylamide Gel Residues in Mammary Glands: Physico-Chemical Analysis, Chromatographic Detection, and Implications for Chronic Inflammation
Olga A. Legonkova,
Naida O. Sultanova,
Victoria V. Stafford,
Anastasia A. Zavitaeva,
Dmitry S. Kopitsyn,
Elena R. Tolboeva,
Abdul M. Mahmydov,
Vladimir A. Vinokurov,
Galina A. Davydova,
Natalia B. Svishcheva,
Katia Barbaro,
Julietta V. Rau
Affiliations
Olga A. Legonkova
Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bolshaya Serpukhovskaya Street 27, 117997 Moscow, Russia
Naida O. Sultanova
Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bolshaya Serpukhovskaya Street 27, 117997 Moscow, Russia
Victoria V. Stafford
Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bolshaya Serpukhovskaya Street 27, 117997 Moscow, Russia
Anastasia A. Zavitaeva
Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bolshaya Serpukhovskaya Street 27, 117997 Moscow, Russia
Dmitry S. Kopitsyn
Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, National University of Oil and Gas “Gubkin University”, Leninsky Prospekt 65, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Elena R. Tolboeva
Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bolshaya Serpukhovskaya Street 27, 117997 Moscow, Russia
Abdul M. Mahmydov
Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bolshaya Serpukhovskaya Street 27, 117997 Moscow, Russia
Vladimir A. Vinokurov
Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, National University of Oil and Gas “Gubkin University”, Leninsky Prospekt 65, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Galina A. Davydova
Federal State Institution of Science, Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ITEB RAS), Institutskaya Street 3, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
Natalia B. Svishcheva
Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bolshaya Serpukhovskaya Street 27, 117997 Moscow, Russia
Katia Barbaro
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana “M. Aleandri”, Via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178 Rome, Italy
Julietta V. Rau
Istituto di Struttura della Materia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, ISM-CNR, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
In the past, polyacrylamide hydrogel was a popular choice for breast augmentation filler, and many women underwent mammoplasty with this gel. However, due to frequent complications, the use of polyacrylamide hydrogel in mammoplasty has been banned. Despite this ban, patients experiencing complications still seek medical treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the fate of the polymer over a defined implantation period. Biopsies of breast implants were obtained from patients with 23 and 27 years of post-mammoplasty. These biopsies were meticulously purified from biological impurities and subjected to analysis using IR spectrometry, liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry. The findings revealed the presence of polyacrylamide hydrogel residues, along with degradation products, within the infected material. Notably, the low-molecular-weight degradation products revealed via gas chromatography are aggressive and toxic substances capable of inducing chronic inflammation. This study sheds light on the long-term consequences of polyacrylamide hydrogel implantation, highlighting the persistence of harmful degradation products and their role in exacerbating patient complications.
