Spleen and portal lymphnode pathology in fatal drug addiction

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 233 - 244
• Main Authors: Kringsholm, Birgitte, Christoffersen, Per
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.01.1984
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Fatal drug addiction; Female; Forensic Medicine; Humans; Hyperplasia; Immunoglobulin G - analysis; Immunoglobulin M - analysis; Liver - pathology; Lymph Nodes - analysis; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Male; Medico-legal autopsy; Muramidase - analysis; Retrospective Studies; Spleen - analysis; Spleen - pathology; Spleen and portal lymphnode section; Substance-Related Disorders - immunology; Substance-Related Disorders - pathology; Medico-legal autopsy; Spleen and portal lymphnode section; Fatal drug addiction
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/0379-0738(84)90073-2

Spleen and portal lymphnode sections from 86 drug addicts submitted for medicolegal autopsy at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen in the year 1979 were studied together with tissue sections from 24 “normal” persons. In 70% of the drug addicts the spleen weight was more than 200 g, and in 71% portal lymphnode hyperplasia was found. Birefringent foreign material was found in spleen tissue of drug addicts in 72% and in portal lymphnode tissue in 44%. Signs of antigen stimulation in both spleen and portal lymphnode tissue evaluated by the number of germinal centre and plasma cells were found in more than 80% of the drug addicts compared with about 20% of the “normal” persons. The results were related to anamnestic information of duration of drug abuse, to the spleen weight, to the occurrence of birefringent material and to the liver changes. Examination of lysozyme and immunoglobulin containing cells using the indirect preoxidase technique was performed in a total of 72 cases of spleen tissue, 59 cases of portal lymphnode tissue from drug addicts, 24 cases of spleen tissue and 18 of portal lymphnode tissue from “normal” persons. Lysozyme, IgM and IgG containing cells were found significantly more often among drug addicts than “normal” persons. The results indicate that the splenomegalia and the portal lymphnode hyperplasia often found in drug addicts are caused by continuous antigen stimulation due to repeated injections of various antigens.