Abuse and the Immune System

Toby K. Eisenstein, David E. Kaminsky, Rahil T. Rahim, and Thomas J. Rogers 

Keywords Cannabinoids Cheniokines Cocaine Cytokines Immunosuppression Morphine Opioids T-helper 1/T-helper 2 (Thl/Th2) A9-tetrahydrocannabinol (A -THC) Tolerance Withdrav al 

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Pillai R, Nair BS, Watson RR. AIDS, drugs of abuse and the immune system a complex immunotoxicological network. Arch Toxicol 1991 65(8) 609-17. 

Cook, R.T., Alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and damage to the immune system—a review, Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res., 22, 1927, 1998. 

Even when a disease has been effectively treated in a conntry, retention of the disease in small isolated pockets can act as a source for future infection. This can readily occnr when movement of even a small nnmber of infected people into a population in which the immnne system is impaired can lead to the spread of this new disease to areas that were previously free of it. Chronic illness due to malnutrition can weaken the immune system which then facilitates the spread of an infection. This is a particular problem if malnutrition is accompanied by a chronic illness. Althongh malnutrition and accompanying diseases are associated with developing countries, the phenomenon also occurs in developed countries, for example, in the very poor, the homeless, drug abusers and the elderly. It is now considered to be a major factor in the increased incidence of tuberculosis in these gronps. 

Nitrites carry special risks, even with modest use. Based on their research with animals, scientists suspect that nitrite abuse reduces the number of cells in the immune system. This possibly hinders the body s efforts to fight infectious diseases and resist the growth of tumors. 

Because other drugs of abuse can cause immune dysfunction in regular users, the effects of acute administration of ecstasy on the immune system have been studied in both controlled and natural settings (117). In the controlled study, 18 male ecstasy users were given two doses of ecstasy 100 mg at intervals of 4 or 24 hours. There were... 

It is well established that drugs of abuse are involved in a wdde range of immunomodulatory activities. Among the areas in immune system function in which these alterations have been observed is innate immunity. This arm of the immune system does not exhibit specificity in recognizing foreign pathogens. It encompasses NK cells and the professional phagocytic... 

The acquired immunodeficiency S5mdrome (AIDS) epidemic has served to increase awareness that the adverse consequences of drug abuse extend beyond the acute and chronic effects produced by these drugs on the brain. The immune system has received considerable attention because both opioid and cannabinoid receptors have been identified in spleen cells. Additionally, specific effects of several drug classes on immune function are now well documented. These studies not only provide important insights into the potential harm that drugs of abuse inflict on a compromised immune system they provide opportunities to elucidate the mechanism of action these drugs. 

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