Abstract
It has been well-documented that administration of opioids can alter immune function in vitro. Initial studies of chronic heroin users demonstrated that this population has decreased mitogenic responsiveness of blood lymphocytes to lipopolysaccharide, poke- weed mitogen, and concanavalin-A, suggesting an impairment of cellular immunity (1). Subsequent studies have shown that chronic heroin users also exhibit diminished T-cell E-rosetting (2), reductions in the total number of T-cells present in the peripheral blood (3), and decreases in the number of T-helper cells in the blood (4). Taken together, these studies demonstrate that chronic heroin use can alter immune function, and may thereby affect disease susceptibility and pathogenesis.
The research described in this article has been reviewed by the Health Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation of use.
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Coussons-Read, M.E., Daniels, M., Gilmour, M.I. (1998). Morphine Alters the Immune Response to Influenza Virus Infection in Lewis Rats. In: Friedman, H., Madden, J.J., Klein, T.W. (eds) Drugs of Abuse, Immunomodulation, and Aids. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 437. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5347-2_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5347-2_9
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