IN-VITRO EFFECT OF THE HEROIN ON PERIPHER AL-BLOOD NEUTROPHIL POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES FUNCTION

BACKGROUND: Infections are the most common medical complications in dr ug addicts. Some studies suggest that heroin itself could facilitate t hem by altering the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) function of the se patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the heroin effect on the chemotaxis, the phagocytosis and the bactericidal oxidative metab olic activity on PMNL from 10 healthy adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Th ree samples of 20 ml of blood were obtained from each donor, separatin g the leukocytes later. The first sample was used as control (A group) ; heroin was added to the blood of the second sample before PMNL separ ation (1 mg of heroin into 20 ml of blood) (B group) and to the third sample after PMNL separation (0.05 mg of heroin in 1 ml of PMNL suspen sion) (C group). The concentration of heroin used was 50 mu l/ml of bl ood (this concentration was higher than the letal concentration found in the blood of drug addicts who die from heroin overdose), The PMNL f unctions studied in vitro were the chemotaxis of PMNL applying the und er agarosa gel method, and for the phagocytosis and the intracellular oxidative metabolic activity the following two tests were used: the in gestion of bacto-latex particles combined with nitroblue tetrazolium ( NBT) reduction test and the chemoluminiscence method. The statistical analysis was done using parametric and non-parametric tests. RESULTS: There were no differences between the three groups studied (A, B or C) regarding chemotaxis, the ingestion of bacto-latex particles and the NBT reduction test. Concerning chemoluminiscence, it was inferior in t he C group (with PMNL directly incubated with heroin) compared with A group (control) and B group (with PMNL from blood with heroin) (p < 0. 05), However, there were no statistically significant differences betw een A and B groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, heroin did not have an y in vitro significative effect of chemotaxis, phagocytosis and oxidat ive metabolic activity on the human PMNL.