Folia Biologica
Journal of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Charles University 

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Fol. Biol. 2004, 50, 24-28

https://doi.org/10.14712/fb2004050010024

The Alterations of Immunological Reactivity in Heroin Addicts and Their Normalization in Patients Maintained on Methadone

Alena Zajícová1,2, H. Wilczek3, V. Holáň1,2

1Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
2Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
33rd Medical Clinic, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Received December 2003
Accepted December 2003

Drug addiction influences many physiological functions including reactions of the immune system. The higher occurence of infectious and other diseases in drug addicts has been explained by the depression of immunity due to the harmful effects of the drug. To test this assumption, we tested the proliferative responsiveness and cytokine production of PBL from a group of heroin addicts (N = 19), patients maintained on methadone (N = 15) and healthy controls (N=15). The results show that Con A-induced proliferation of PBL from heroin addicts was even enhanced in comparison with PBL from the control group. Similarly, production of IL-2, IL-10 and IFNγ was higher in the group of heroin addicts than in healthy controls. The enhanced proliferation of PBL or the increased production of cytokines observed in heroin addicts was partially or completely normalized in the group of patients maintained on methadone. A significantly higher production of IL-6 was found in both unstimulated and stimulated PBL from heroin addicts and patients maintained on methadone, when compared with PBL from healthy controls. The results thus showed enhanced proliferative activity and increased production of various cytokines in heroin addicts and partial or complete adjustment of these alterations in patients maintained on methadone.

Funding

This work was supported by grants NF/6824-3 and NJ/6632-3 from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, and projects LN00A026 and MSM 113100003 from the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic

References

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