Frequent injecting impairs lymphocyte reactivity in HIV-positive and HIV-negative drug users.
To investigate whether drug use affected immunological parameters, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 321 drug users. Absolute numbers of CD4+ lymphocytes and the T-cell reactivity were lower in HIV-positive than in HIV-negative people. The functional capacity of the T-cell system as measured after stimulation with a monoclonal antibody directed against CD3 was found to be strongly associated with the frequency of injecting, while no relationship was found between the frequency of injecting and the total number of lymphocytes or T-cell subsets. HIV-negative and HIV-positive drug users who had injected a mean of three times a day in the preceding 4-6 months had a T-cell reactivity which was 40-50% lower compared with seronegative and with seropositive drug users who had not injected in the preceding months. We conclude that lymphocyte reactivity is depressed by frequent injecting in HIV-negative and HIV-positive drug users.
Mientjes
G H
GH
Municipal Health Service, Department of Public Health and Environment, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Miedema
F
F
van Ameijden
E J
EJ
van den Hoek
A A
AA
Schellekens
P T
PT
Roos
M T
MT
Coutinho
R A
RA
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002452:Cell Count; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000276:immunology; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D014758:Viral Core Proteins