title: Acute and chronic effects of cocaine on the immune system and the possible link to AIDS.
abstract: The pathogenesis of AIDS is a complex and prolonged process that is affected by a variety of cofactors, including the abuse of both intravenous and smoked (crack) cocaine. The exact mechanisms by which cocaine facilitates this disease are yet to be proven, but likely include a combination of increased risk due to cocaine-related social behaviours, a wide-ranging capacity for cocaine to suppress the immune system, and an effect of cocaine on the infectivity and replication of HIV. While sometimes contradictory, both human and animal studies document that cocaine alters the function of natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, neutrophils and macrophages, and alters the ability of these cells to secrete immunoregulatory cytokines. In addition to these effects on the immune system, cocaine also enhances the infectivity and/or replication of HIV when tested using human cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Tashkin
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000821:virology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D016578:Crack Cocaine