Autoimmune Disease and Collagen Dermal Implants
Authors: Gurkirpal Singh
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1994)

Letters15 March 1994Autoimmune Disease and Collagen Dermal ImplantsGurkirpal Singh, MD and James F. Fries, MDGurkirpal Singh, MDStanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA 94305Search for more papers by this author and James F. Fries, MDStanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA 94305Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-120-6-199403150-00023 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Cukier and colleagues' [1] analysis of the putative association between bovine collagen implants and subsequent dermatomyositis and polymyositis raises substantial issues about establishing causality, especially in the absence of biologic plausibility [2]. Our previous case–control study [3] of newly diagnosed cases of dermatomyositis and polymyositis failed to identify any cases associated with bovine collagen implants.Questionable assumptions exist in the epidemiologic methods they used; all increased the likelihood of apparent association. First, the number of cases observed must be a subset of the number of persons at risk. The authors included in their numerator patients who only ...References1. Cukier J, Beauchamp RA, Spindler JS, Spindler S, Lorenzo C, Trentham DE. Association between bovine collagen dermal implants and a dermatomyositis or a polymyositis-like syndrome. Ann Intern Med. 1993; 118:920-8. Google Scholar2. DeLustro F, Fries JF, Kang A, Katz S, Kaye R, Reichlin M. Immunity to injectable collagen and autoimmune disease: a summary of current understanding. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1988; 14:57-65. Google Scholar3. Lyon MG, Bloch DA, Hollak B, Fries JF. Predisposing factors in polymyositis-dermatomyositis: results of a nationwide survey. J Rheumatol. 1989; 16:1218-24. Google Scholar4. Oddis CV, Conte C, Steen VD, Medsger TA Jr. Incidence of polymyositis-dermatomyositis: a 20-year study of hospital diagnosed cases in Allegheny County, PA, 1963-82. J Rheumatol. 1990; 17:1329-34. Google Scholar5. Food and Drug Administration. Meeting on Collagen and Autoimmune Diseases. Rockville, Maryland: Food and Drug Administration; 1991:1-2. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA 94305 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByComplications and their managementA Case of Dermatomyositis That Developed after Repeated Filler Material Injections for Cosmetic PurposesCellular and humoral responses to collagenpolyvinylpyrrolidone administered during short and long periods in humans 15 March 1994Volume 120, Issue 6Page: 524-526KeywordsAutoimmune diseasesClinical immunologyCollagen diseasesConnective tissue diseasesDermatomyositisEpidemiological methods and statisticsFood and Drug AdministrationMyositisPolymyositisSkin tests Issue Published: 15 March 1994 CopyrightCopyright © 1994 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...