Association of anti-RNA polymerase III antibody with silicone breast implants rupture in a multicentre series of Italian patients with systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous systemic autoimmune disease with distinct subsets identified by specific autoantibodies. Some environmental agents might play a role in SSc pathogenesis, including silicone breast implants (SBI). This association has been controversial in previous literature and only few studies reported the auto-antibody status in these SSc women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of SBI with SSc in a large cohort of Italian patients, classified according to their SSc-related autoantibodies and to their history of breast cancer.