Autoimmune and malignant diseases secondary to autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by modeling substances (ASIA-MS): A short communication of a clinical case series

INTRODUCTION: Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by modeling substances (ASIA-MS) is a health problem in many countries. Chronic immune activation caused by these substances has been implicated not only in autoimmune disease development but, in rare cases, also in malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study was conducted, including 111 patients with ASIA-MS. Demographic, clinical, and immunological variables were collected, and the presence of autoimmune diseases and neoplasms was evaluated. RESULTS: The 9.9% developed well-defined autoimmune diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hyperthyroidism, and sarcoidosis) and 7.2% developed malignancies (lymphoma, breast cancer, melanoma, chondrosarcoma, intestinal adenocarcinoma, and ovarian cancer). CONCLUSION: Although a causal relationship cannot be inferred due to the study design, these findings suggest a possible association between chronic immune stimulation induced by modeling substances and the subsequent development of autoimmunity or malignancy.