PURPOSE: Surgical mesh, often made from polypropylene, is commonly recommended to enhance hernia repair outcomes in adults. Concerns about polypropylene, as a cause of allergy and/or autoimmune disease prompted this study to evaluate immunological parameters in patients with mesh and healthy controls. METHODOLOGY: A case-control cohort study was conducted at a university hospital. Electronic patient records of hernia repairs using polypropylene mesh (January 2018-April 2022) were analysed. Blood samples from patients and healthy controls were assessed using various methods, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, immunoblotting, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: The database search identified 1544 participants. After applying the exclusion criteria 33 patients remained in the polypropylene mesh group. Patients with mesh had lower median IgG3 levels (p = 0.02) and Rheumatoid factor (RF) IgM (p = 0.018) compared to the control group. Although both IgG3 and RF IgM levels were in the normal reference range. In addition, 5 patients in the mesh group tested positive for serum ANCA levels compared to none in the control group (p = 0.053). No other differences in immunoglobulins, autoantibodies, complement, or immune cell subtypes were observed. CONCLUSION: Patients with polypropylene mesh exhibited median IgG3 and RF IgM serum levels that were within the normal reference range but slightly lower compared to the control group. Among patients with polypropylene mesh, five displayed positive serum ANCA levels without autoimmune-related symptoms. Overall, no definitive signs of autoimmunity caused by polypropylene mesh. A larger, prospective study is warranted to further explore potential immune responses to polypropylene mesh.

• Klíčová slova
• ANCA, Autoimmunity, Hernia repair, Immune reaction, Immunoglobulin G, Polypropylene mesh, Rheumatoid factor, Surgical mesh,
• MeSH
• chirurgické síťky * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• imunoglobulin G krev   MeSH
• imunoglobulin M krev   MeSH
• kohortové studie MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• operace kýly * přístrojové vybavení   MeSH
• polypropyleny * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• revmatoidní faktor krev   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• imunoglobulin G MeSH
• imunoglobulin M MeSH
• polypropyleny * MeSH
• revmatoidní faktor MeSH