Changes in lymphocyte subpopulations in hospitalized drug addicts
Podzamczer, D.; Buendía, E.; Mestre, M.; Urbiztondo, L.; Comellas, J.; Gudiol, F.
Medicina Clinica 85(9): 360-363
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-7753 PMID: 4079574 Document Number: 255830
Lymphocyte subpopulations were studied in a group of 25 addicts to parenteral drugs who had been admitted to the hospital because of infective complications of their addiction. Seventy-six percent of them had a reduced OKT4/OKT8 ratio (p < 0.005) at the expense of a decrease of OKT4 + lymphocytes (p < 0.0001). The total number of T-lymphocytes was reduced in 92% of patients (p < 0.0001), whereas OKT8 + were reduced in 56% and increased in 40% of cases (not significant). These data are similar to those found in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and are different from those found by some authors in healthy patients belonging to groups at risk of AIDS. Longitudinal studies are required to evaluate the prognostic significance of these findings.