Increased Alpha-2-Macroglobulin in Opiate Addicts: Further Evidence of an Alteration in the Coagulation System due to Opiate Addiction

Antonio Ceriello, Patrizia Dello Russo, Francesco Curcio, Nicola Passariello, Dario Giugliano, Istituto di Patologia Medica, I Facoltà di Medicina, Università di Napoli, Piazza Miraglia, I-80138 Napoli (Italy) References Fuller, J.H.; Keen, H.; Jarrett, R.J.: Hemostatic variables associated with diabetes and its complications. Br. med. J. ii’.· 964–966(1979). Ceriello, A.; Giugliano, D.; Dello Russo, P.; Sgambato, S.; D’Onofrio, F.: Increased glycosylated haemoglobin A, in opiate addicts: evidence for hyperglycaemic effect of morphine. Diabetologia 22: 379(1982). Ceriello, A.; Dello Russo, P.; Curcio, F.; Rossano, P.: Increased glycosylated protein in opiate addicts. Diabetes Care 7:104–105 (1984). Increased plasma levels of α2-macroglobulin, a 4 natural linhibitor of blood coagulation, have been reported in diabetes [1]. We have previously reported that opiate addicts behave similarly to diabetics [2–4]. Therefore, we measured blood glucose, Hb Ai and o1⁄85 macroglobulin in 20 male addicts (mean age ± SD 23 ± 3.4 years) and in 20 healthy male controls (age 23 ± 2.5 years). Hb Aj and o7⁄8-macroglobulin were found to be significantly increased in addicts (Hb A] 7.2 ± 0.14%; < 7⁄8-macroglobulin 243.26 ± 62.2 mg/dl) 7 versus controls (Hb Ai 6.3 ± 0.17 %, p < 0.001; c3⁄87⁄8-mac-roglobulin 156.91 ± 37.32 mg/dl, p < 0.001). No correlation was found between Hb Ai and o1⁄8-macroglobu-lin levels. Our data demonstrate increased o7⁄8-macroglobulin levels in opiate addicts and confirm the 9 occurrence of an impairment of the blood clotting mechanism in the same addicts [5–7], in analogy to that found in diabetics [8–10]. Passariello, N.; Giugliano, D.; Quatraro, A.; Consoli, G.; Sgambato, S.; Torella, R.; D’Onofrio, F.: Glucose tolerance and hormonal responses in heroin addicts. A possible role for endogenous opiates in the pathogenesis of non-insulin dependent diabetes. Metabolism 32: 1163–1165 (1983). Passariello, N.; Giugliano, D.; Ceriello, A.; Misso, L.; Quatraro, A.: Increased platelet aggregation in opiate addicts. Blood 60: 276(1982). Ceriello, A.; Dello Russo, P.; Niola, O.; Schimizzi, S.; Capez-zuto, C: Fibrinogen levels in opiate addicts. Thromb. Haemos-tasis 50: 759(1983).