Immune system alterations in cannabis and heroin users

The immune system alterations were tested in 40 male addicts who were admitted in a mental hospital in Cairo over a period of one year. They were divided into two groups, the first group represents chronic heroin users and the second group represents chronic cannabis users, each of 20 subjects, while a third group represents age and sex matched control and all subjects had no history of immunological disorders. These groups were investigated as regard population of lymphocytes [T and B], the functional activity of T-lymphocytes [CMI] as assessed by the lymphocyte blastogenesis, the chemotactic indices and phagocytic activity, while humoral immunity [HI] was tested by levels of IgA, IgM and IgG. It was found that both heroin and cannabis users got significantly lower number of T-lymphocytes compared to control group, as regard the functional activity of T-lymphocytes, it was significantly lowered in both groups with more suppression of phagocytic activity and blastogenesis in heroin users. Finally, there were significant lower levels of IgG, IgM and IgA with more suppression of IgG in heroin users together with a cumulative inhibitory effect of both heroin and cannabis on the immune system. As a conclusion, chronic heroin and cannabis exposure are immune system suppressants with more hazardous effect of heroin abuse

Adicción cocainica, inmunodeficiencia y abcesos cerebrales / Cocaine adiction, inmunodeficiency and brain abscess

Se han estudiado tres pacientes adictos a la cocaína que desarrollaron abscesos cerebrales. El primero tuvo un absceso de localización hemisférica, el segundo paciente presentó abscesos múltiples en el cerebelo y la protuberancia, finalmente, el último desarrolló múltiples abscesos de diferente tamaño y localizaciones. Los tres casos mostraban signos de inmunodeficiencia probablemente celular y humoral. Se presentan las observaciones clínicas detalladas, se discute la asociación de la adicción cocaínica y su repercusión en la inmunidad de los pacientes, predisponiéndoles a numerosas infecciones.

Serum antibodies to HTLV-I in Thai patients with chronic progressive myelopathy, multiple sclerosis, myopathy and in HIV-seropositive intravenous drug abusers.

Antibodies to HTLV-I were assayed in sera of 9 patients with progressive myelopathy, 11 with multiple sclerosis, 5 with myopathy and in 10 HIV-seropositive intravenous heroin abusers. Clinical features in 9 cases with progressive myelopathy were not different from those previously described in tropical spastic paraparesis associated with HTLV-I infection. No detectable HTLV-1 antibody was found in the sera of any of the 35 patients studied.