To investigate the effects of illicit heroin abuse on the endocrine system a study was carried out in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) where heroin addiction is prevalent. Sixty-eight subjects were included in this study. Thirty-three were untreated heroin addicts visiting "drug abuse treatment centres" in Peshawar and 35 age matched normal males. Urine samples of all addicts showed the pres...

There is an increasing body of evidence that heroin addiction is associated with severe alterations in immune function, which might contribute to an increased risk to infectious diseases like hepatitis B and C or HIV. However, the impact of Baduanjin exercise on T cell function in heroin user is not well understood. Therefore, we analyzed the frequency of immune-suppressive CD4+CD25+FoxP3 regul...

drug abuse has high co-morbidity with mental disorders, thus, controlling and treating it requires multimodal treatment intervention. this cross sectional study evaluates personality traits of 67 ïv heroin abusers in kashan prison. the utilized instruments included two parts: a demographic questionnaire and mmpï. the data obtained from the questionnaires were statistically analyzed by using fis...

The accurate analytical measurement of binding affinities of polyclonal antibody in sera to heroin, 6-acetylmorphine (6-AM), and morphine has been a challenging task. A simple nonradioactive method that uses deuterium-labeled drug tracers and equilibrium dialysis (ED) combined with ultra performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) to measure the apparent dissociation...

BACKGROUND Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is widely recognized as an effective method of combatting narcotic addiction. MMT reduces heroin withdrawal symptoms and, thus, makes it possible to provide the psychological and social support that is essential to the rehabilitation of drug users. AIM Compare the severity of depressive symptoms in heroin users who are currently receiving MMT t...

An investigation is currently underway to explore and control an outbreak of Bacillus anthracis among drug users (mainly injecting) in Scotland. Contaminated heroin or a contaminated cutting agent mixed with the heroin is considered to be the most likely source and vehicle of infection. Heroin users have been advised of the risk. The risk to the general public is regarded as very low.

BACKGROUND The UK heroin market is the biggest in Europe and approximately 70% of heroin deaths are due to fatal poisoning. Methadone treatment for heroin addiction in the UK, the 'British system', is unique as it is largely provided by General Practitioners. METHODS The Office for National Statistics provided data on deaths, the Home Office provided law enforcement data on drug seizures and ...

UNLABELLED Pain management in opioid abusers engenders ethical and practical difficulties for clinicians, often resulting in pain mismanagement. Although chronic opioid administration may alter pain states, the presence of pain itself may alter the propensity to self-administer opioids, and previous history of drug abuse comorbid with chronic pain promotes higher rates of opioid misuse. Here, w...