Hepatic Dysfunction in Heroin Addicts

Abstract

Hepatic dysfunction in 46 heroin users who were admitted to a methadone maintenance program (MMP) was evaluated over a period of one year with the use of conventional liver-function tests, radioimmunoassay of hepatitis-associated antigen (HAA) and antibody (HAA-AB), and biopsy of the liver. On admission, 21 patients (44%) had significant titers of HAA or HAA-AB. Fourteen of the remaining 25 patients with negative results of HAA and HAA-AB assay had persistently abnormal results for liver-function tests. Liver biopsies in ten of 12 of these patients showed histological evidence of alcoholic liver disease. Eight-five percent of patients entering the MMP gave a history of high alcohol consumption while taking heroin. The high frequency of an alcoholic history among the heroin users studied and the finding of histological evidence of alcoholic liver injury indicate that alcohol may play a significant role in the cause of chronic liver disease seen in drug addicts.