Summary
High levels of immunoreactive calcitonin (iCT) in the blood of heroin addicts were previously reported. As it is well known that multiple forms of calcitonin exist in the blood and in tissues, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the immunological nature of the CT-like immunoreactive material found in the blood of these subjects. We investigated 25 addicts, who had been using heroin for more than one year and were hospitalized for a 2 week detoxication program. Blood samples were drawn at the start of the program (when the subjects were still on heroin) and after 5 and 12 days of abstinence from heroin. Twenty-five healthy subjects served as controls. We used 2 commercial RIA kits, calibrated against the same reference material (WHO 70-234), but employing different antisera. One antiserum substantially confirmed the previous findings of increased levels of calcitonin during heroin use, but the other seemed to exclude any change in the hormone concentrations. This suggests that the “calcitonin like” material found in heroin addicts contains some epitopes similar to those found in the calcitonin standard which are detected by the first antiserum. However it lacks other epitopes which are also present in calcitonin standard and which are recognized by the second antiserum. Therefore, this substance seems to be different from the standard human calcitonin 1–32. A possible involvement of a calcitonin analogue (precursor or metabolite) in the biochemical changes occurring during chronic opiate use is suggested.
Zusammenfassung
Über hohe Spiegel von immunoreaktivem Calcitonin (iCT) im Blut von Heroinsüchtigen wurde in vorhergehenden Studien berichtet. Da bekannt ist, daß zahlreiche Formen von Calcitonin imBlut und in den Geweben existieren, war es das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie, die immunologische Naturdes calcitoninähnlichen immunreaktiven Materials zu untersuchen, welches im Blut dieser Personengruppe gefunden wird. Wir untersuchten 25 Süchtige,welche seit mehr als 1 Jahr Heroin nahmen und während eines Entgiftungsprogramms mehr als zwei Wochen hospitalisiertwaren. Blutproben wurden zu Beginn des Programms genommen (als die Probanden noch heroinbelastetwaren) und nach 5 bzw. 12 Tagen der Abstinenz. 25 gesunde Versuchspersonen dienten als Kontrollgruppe. Wirbenutzten zwei kommerzielle RIA Kits, welche gegen dasselbe Referenzmaterial (WHO 70-234)calibriert waren, jedoch unterschiedliche Antiseren beinhalten. Ein Antiserum stimmte substanziell mit vorhergehenden Beobachtungen überein, nach denen die Calcitonin-Spiegel während des Gebrauchs von Heroin erhöht sind,das andere jedoch schien jede Veränderung der Hormon-Konzentrationen auszuschließen. Dieses Ergebnis deutetdarauf hin, daß das “calcitoninähnliche Material”, welches bei Heroinsüchtigen gefunden wird, einige Epitopeenthält, welche analog dem Calcitonin-Standard sind und durch das erste Antiserum erfaßt werden. Das“calcitoninähnliche Material” scheint jedoch andere Epitope nicht aufzuweisen, welche imCalcitonin-Standard vorhanden sind und welche durch das zweite Antiserum detektiert werden. Daher scheintdiese Substanz sich vom Standard-Calcitonin 1–32 zu unterscheiden. Es wird diskutiert, daß möglicherweise einCalcitonin-Analogon (Precursor oder Metabolit) in die biochemischen Veränderungen während des chronischen Opiatmißbrauchsinvolviert ist.
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Tagliaro, F., Dorizzi, R., Ghielmi, S. et al. Immunoreactive “calcitonin-like” material in heroin addicts: Varying reactivity with different antibodies. Int J Leg Med 104, 309–312 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369547
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01369547