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Cell‐Mediated Immune Response in MDMA Users After Repeated Dose Administration

Roberta Pacifici, Piergiorgio Zuccaro, Magı́ Farré, Simona Pichini, Simonetta Di Carlo, Pere N. Roset, Ilaria Palmi, Jordi Ortuño, E. Menoyo, Jordi Segura, Rafael de la Torre

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2002 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04183.x (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Population Healthy MDMA consumers and recreational MDMA users
Intervention MDMA
Duration 2-year observation period
Topics MDMA
Keywords Immune system Pharmacology Administration probate law Immunology
Citations 58
Key findings Repeated MDMA administration produces prolonged immune dysfunction, and long-term recreational use leads to persistent alterations in immune parameters, including reduced NK cells and CD4 T-helper cells.

Abstract

A bstract : Acute administration of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) produces time‐dependent immune dysfunction in humans. Recreational use of MDMA generally includes repeated drug consumption, often in association with other drugs, such as alcohol and cannabis. In the laboratory setting, repeated MDMA administration to healthy MDMA consumers produced a time‐dependent immune dysfunction similar to that observed with the ingestion of a single dose, and the first of the two administrations paralleled the time‐course of MDMA‐induced cortisol stimulation kinetics and MDMA plasma concentrations. A significant decrease in CD4 T‐helper cells with simultaneous increase in natural killer (NK) cell and a decrease in functional responsiveness of lymphocytes to mitogenic stimulation was observed. Response to the second dose was either long‐lasting compared with the first dose or disproportionate and did not show any parallelism with cortisol and MDMA plasma concentrations. This circumstance extended the critical period during which immunocompetence is highly impaired as a result of MDMA use. Accumulation of MDMA in the body of a poor metabolizer induced higher immunomodulatory effects with statistically significant differences in NK cell function compared with extensive metabolizers. When basal values of lymphocyte subsets were examined in a population of recreational MDMA users participating in different clinical trials, alterations in several immunological parameters were observed. The absolute number of lymphocytes, in particular T lymphocytes and CD4 T‐helper cell subsets, showed a trend toward reduced values, although cell counts were within normal limits. By contrast, NK cells in MDMA consumers were reduced to one‐third of those from healthy persons. A statistically significant decrease in affected immune parameters was recorded during a 2‐year observation period in a subgroup of recreational MDMA users. These permanent alterations in immunologic homeostasis may result in impairment of general health and subsequent increased susceptibility to infection and immune‐related disorders.

Comparable studies

Other narrative reviews on MDMA, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Human Pharmacology of MDMA 2004 Review
Human psychopharmacology of Ecstasy (MDMA): a review of 15 years of empirical research 2001 Review
3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “Ecstasy”): pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans 1994 Review
(±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Studies in Animals 2000 Review
Amphetamine toxicities 2010 Review

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