title: Active opioid use does not attenuate the humoral responses to inactivated influenza vaccine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Influenza vaccination is recommended for vulnerable individuals, including active drug users, to prevent influenza complications and decrease influenza spread. Recent studies suggest that opioids negatively regulate immune responses in experimental models, but the extent to which opioid use will affect the humoral responses to influenza vaccine in humans is unknown. This information is critical in maximizing vaccination efforts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether there is a difference in antibody response after influenza vaccination in heroin or methadone users compared to control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied active heroin users, subjects on methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and subjects that did not use any drugs before and 1 and 4 weeks after vaccination with trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV). We measured hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization titers, and we compared geometric mean titers (GMT), and rates of seroprotection and seroconversion for each of the vaccine strains among the 3 groups of subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Heroin users, subjects on MMT and non-user controls mount a similarly robust serologic response to TIV. GMT and rates of seroprotection and seroconversion were not significantly different among groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that opioid use do not significantly alter antibody responses to influenza vaccine supporting the vaccination effort in these populations.
authors: Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, US.
authors: Ekaterina
authors: E
authors: Moroz
authors: Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, US; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, US.
authors: Randy A
authors: RA
authors: Albrecht
authors: Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, US.
authors: Brandon
authors: B
authors: Aden
authors: Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, US.
authors: Ann Bordwine
authors: AB
authors: Beeder
authors: Immune Monitoring Facility, Ludwig Center for Center Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, US.
authors: Jianda
authors: J
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, US; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, US; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, US.
authors: Adolfo
authors: A
authors: García-Sastre
authors: Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, US; Institute for Infectious Disease Research, National Development and Research Institutes, New York, NY, US.
authors: Brian R
authors: BR
authors: Edlin
authors: Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, US. Electronic address: mis2053@med.cornell.edu.
authors: Mirella
authors: M
authors: Salvatore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006385:Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000187:drug effects*; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; D009981:Influenza B virus; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000069078:Seroconversion; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; D008691:Methadone
keywords: Hemagglutination inhibition; Heroin; Influenza vaccination; Methadone; Microneutralization; Opioid users