Heroin addiction alters liver function in human subjects

ABSTRACT

Heroin addiction is a growing problem in our country. Studies were carried out on twenty-eight [28] street heroin injector addicts taking a fixed dose of 1.3 gm of heroin/day for at least eleven years. Blood concentrations of total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubn, Alanine transminase [ALT], Alkaline Phosphatase [ALP] and Gamma Glutamyl transferase [gGT] were measured using standard methods and results were compared with those of normal human subjects. Total bilirubin, Alanine tranaminase [ALT], Alkaline Phosphatase [ALP] and Gamma Glutamy transferase [gGT] were significantly elevated in heroin addicts but no significant changes was found in the level of conjugated bilirubin. It is concluded that viral infections leading to hepatitis in intravenous herion addicts results in altered Liver function