Lymphadenopathy in drug addicts. A study of the distribution of T lymphocyte subsets in the lymph nodes.
Lymph node biopsies from 24 male heroin addicts and 9 control patients were studied using immunohistochemical, and in 1/3 of cases, quantitative methods. 5 out of these 24 patients were also homosexual. All presented diffuse lymphadenopathy but none had any signs or symptoms of opportunistic infections nor Kaposi's sarcoma. Histologically the lymph nodes showed a very peculiar follicular hyperplasia with atrophy of the paracortex. The germinal centers appeared irregular, ill defined and contained clusters of small lymphocytes. The mantle zone was atrophic. Immunolabelling of T lymphocytes by monoclonal antibodies showed that germinal centers were invaded by small nests of Leu 2a (and OKT8) positive lymphocytes, i.e. chiefly cytotoxic-suppressor phenotype; the number of these cells increased by about 100 times in the follicles. OKT4 (and Leu 3a) positive cells, i.e. chiefly helper-inducer phenotype, appeared to decrease. These histological and immunohistochemical changes are considered to be suggestive of drug addicts' lymphadenopathy, and also possibly of other conditions increasing the risk of AIDS.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology