Intradermal implantation of bovine collagen. Humoral immune responses associated with clinical reactions

Abstract

A special collagen implant (Zyderm) (ZCI) is a biomaterial used for the correction of dermal contour deformities. Although infrequent, reactions believed to be of an immunologic nature have followed treatment. To investigate whether humoral immunity is associated with these reactions, 40 patients were studied for the presence of anti-ZCI antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Ten patients who had had adverse treatment reactions uniformly exhibited circulating anti-ZCI antibodies. Of 30 control patients, 29, including 9 who had received ZCI without adverse reaction, failed to produce the high levels of antibodies found in all clinical reactors. This difference was statistically significant. Additional investigations confirmed that the antibodies studied were directed primarily against the bovine collagen component of the ZCI. The humoral immune system is apparently capable of recognizing ZCI. The presence of antibodies to the ZCI correlates with the occurrence of adverse reactions.