Vahidy R, Akbar S
Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, Pakistan.
Ann Acad Med Singap. 1990 Nov;19(6):823-6.
A study on a group of fifty heroin abusers was conducted to analyse their immunocompetence. Absolute numbers of lymphocytes and their sub-populations in the peripheral blood were used as the parameter. Sub-populations of lymphocytes were distinguished on the basis of their ability to form rosettes with sheep's erythrocytes. Another group of fifty individuals comprising non-abusers was studied as control. The mean values for total lymphocytes and the T-cells in non-abusers were within the expected normal range, while those obtained for the heroin abusers were below normal value. Difference between the cell counts of the two groups was statistically significant. The mean of non-rosetting cells of the two groups of population studied did not differ significantly. Results indicate a marked deficiency in the cellular immune compartment of the subjects with not much impairment of the humoral immune system. The chi-square test for independence between lymphocyte counts and drug abuse revealed a degree of association with 88% confidence.
对一组50名海洛因滥用者进行了一项研究，以分析他们的免疫能力。外周血中淋巴细胞及其亚群的绝对数量被用作参数。淋巴细胞亚群是根据它们与绵羊红细胞形成玫瑰花结的能力来区分的。另一组由50名非滥用者组成的个体作为对照进行研究。非滥用者的总淋巴细胞和T细胞的平均值在预期的正常范围内，而海洛因滥用者的平均值低于正常值。两组细胞计数之间的差异具有统计学意义。所研究的两组人群中不形成玫瑰花结细胞的平均值没有显著差异。结果表明，受试者的细胞免疫部分存在明显缺陷，而体液免疫系统受损不大。淋巴细胞计数与药物滥用之间的独立性卡方检验显示，在88%的置信度下存在一定程度的关联。
