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Effect of cessation of drug misuse on the immune status of HIV‐infected injecting drug users
Author(s) -
RADKOWSKI MAREK,
WEREZYNSKA TERESA,
LASKUS TOMASZ,
KAMINSKA EWA,
KULIGOWSKI STANISLAW
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
addiction biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.445
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1369-1600
pISSN - 1355-6215
DOI - 10.1080/13556219772903
Subject(s) - drug , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , medicine , immune system , pharmacology , immunology
Abstract The effects of cessation of i.v. drug use on CD4 lymphocyte count and serum levels of beta2 ‐microglobulin (beta2 m) and soluble interleukin‐2 receptor (sIL‐2R) were prospectively investigated in 41 HIV‐positive drug users enrolled in a methadone treatment programme. Fifteen HIV‐positive matched non‐abstainers served as controls. During the follow‐up of 12 months the mean CD4 lymphocyte count remained unchanged in the methadone‐treated group but fell significantly in controls. beta2 m and sIL‐2R values decreased in abstainers at the beginning of the treatment but rose in non‐abstaining group. We conclude that cessation of illicit drug abuse and methadone treatment in HIV‐infected injecting drug users may exert a beneficial effect on the immune status.