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Lymphadenopathy in drug addicts

A study of the distribution of T lymphocyte subsets in the lymph nodes

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Summary

Lymph node biopsies from 24 male heroin addicts and 9 control patients were studied using immunohistochemical, and in\(\tfrac{1}{3}\) of cases, quantitative methods. 5 out of these 24 patients were also homosexual. All presented diffuse lymphadenopathy but none had any signs or symptoms of opportunistic infections nor Kaposi's sarcoma. Histologically the lymph nodes showed a very peculiar follicular hyperplasia with atrophy of the paracortex. The germinal centers appeared irregular, ill defined fined and contained clusters of small lymphocytes. The mantle zone was atrophic. Immunolabelling of T lymphocytes by monoclonal antibodies showed that germinal centers were invaded by small nests of Leu 2a (and OKT8) positive lymphocytes, i.e. chiefly cytotoxic-suppressor phenotype; the number of these cells increased by about 100 times in the follicles. OKT4 (and Leu 3a) positive cells, i.e. chiefly helper-inducer phenotype, appeared to decrease. These histological and immunohistochemical changes are considered to be suggestive of drug addicts' lymphadenopathy, and also possibly of other conditions increasing the risk of AIDS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Centre Médical Universitaire, CH-1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland

    Marie-Françoise Toccanier & Yusuf Kapanci

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  1. Marie-Françoise Toccanier
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  2. Yusuf Kapanci
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Toccanier, MF., Kapanci, Y. Lymphadenopathy in drug addicts. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 406, 149–163 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00737082

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