immunoe status of the drug addiction

There is high rescue of infection, if heroine adduction uses i.v. injection without sterilization. The hypothesis of immune deficiency was evaluated. Immunoglobulin M was reported by many authors. This study included 34 patients [23 males, 11 females, 33 took heroine]. Their age ranged from 17 to 70 years, average 26 years. The following parameters were considered: Number of lymphocyte immune globin E, serological reactions of S [VDRL and TPHA] and RF factors. Immune defens reported in intoxicated patients

La drogadicción y el sistema inmunológico / Drogaddiction and the inmune system

La presente revision pretende reunir algunas de la evidencias existentes acerca del efecto de marihuana, morfina, heroina y cocaina sobre el sistema inminologico. Se hace en primer lugar una breve introduccion sobre los aspectos farmacologicos de cada una de las drogas para luego presentar la informacion relacionada con parametros inmunologicos bien sea en humanos, en modelos animales o in vitro. La conclusion general es que todas estas sustancias tiene accion moduladora sobre la expresion de receptores a nivel de las membranas celulares. El efeto de la cocaina parece ser de modulacion positiva, es decir que mejora las respuestas lo cual se corelaciona con la poca evidencia de enfermedades de origen infeccioso en adictos a esta sustancia, a diferencia de los opiaceos y la marihuana. Es necesario, sinembargo, disenar experimentos con un control mas estricto de todas las variblaes involucradas en la drogadiccion a fin de depurar resultados aparentemente contradictorios que impiden llegar a conclusiones definitivas

This paper reviews some available evidence on the immunological effects of marijuana, morphine, heroine and cocaine. After a short introduction on the pharmacological aspects of these drugs, we present human, animal and In vitro data on different parameters related with the immune system. A general conclusion is that all these drugs modulate the expression of receptors on cellular membranes. Cocaine seems to be a positive modulator since it increases immune responses which agrees with the fact that cocaine addicts do not frequently develop infectious problems. On the contrary, the other drugs seem to induce some immuno suppression and those with addiction to them present infections with a higher frequency. Nevertheless, before a final conclusion can be made, more studies carefully controlling all variables involved in drug addiction should be done in order to solve some of the apparent contradictions frequently found In the Literature