Asia Syndrome: Systematic literature review

Abstract

There have been many cases of occurrence of autoantibodies and disease symptoms after adjuvant exposure, not only after breast augmentation with silicone implants, but also as a very rare side effect of vaccination, such as Gulf War syndrome or macrophagic myofasciitis syndrome. Diseases whose symptoms developed after such adjuvant exposure are called adjuvant-induced autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome (ASIA). The adjuvant group includes not only silicone, silica, squalene and aluminum implants, but also ink components used to make tattoos. Analyzing the available reports on the influence of adjuvants on the development of autoimmune diseases, it is concluded that, in addition to prolonged exposure to silicone, the coexistence of other factors, such as genetic or environmental, is also necessary. The analyses clearly do not confirm an increased risk of developing an autoimmune disease after breast augmentation with silicone implants or tattoos, but it seems that among these patients there is a group that is more predestined to develop symptoms of the disease. In the general population, the benefits of vaccination are obvious, and the risk of serious adverse events after immunization is incomparably lower than the risk of developing a specific disease and its complications, also for patients with diagnosed autoimmune diseases. Due to the heterogeneity of data in previous studies and the difficulties in diagnosing ASIA, further analysis of the influence of adjuvants on the development of autoimmune diseases and refinement of the diagnostic criteria for ASIA, which now allow too easy diagnosis of this disease, seems necessary.