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Poggi, A., Costa, P., Morelli, L., Cantoni, C., Pella, N., Spada, F., Biassoni, R., Nanni, L., Revello, V., Tomasello, E., Mingari, M.C., Moretta, A. and Moretta, L. (1996). Expression of human NKRP1A by CD34+ immature thymocytes: NKRP1A-mediated regulation of prolifera-tion and cytolytic activity, European Journal of Immu-nology, 26(6), 1266-1272.

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Heroin-induced changes of CD34-positive rat thymus cells

  AUTHORS: Gentimi Fotini, Perrea Despina, Marinos Evangelos, Konstandi Ourania, Katsorchis Theodoros

  KEYWORDS: Heroin; Rat Thymus; CD34

  JOURNAL NAME: Health, Vol.2 No.8, August 26, 2010

  ABSTRACT: Heroin is a well known opioid that causes al-terations to the immune system of a number of investigated animals. Only a few studies have explored the effect of heroin on the lymphocytes maturation. Thymocyte progenitors originate from haematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. The immature T-cells express neither CD4 nor CD8, and are therefore classed as double-negative (CD4-CD8-) cells. CD34 glycoprotein is the only defined marker of the immature T-lymphocytes. In this study we have investigated the changes induced in CD34+ rat thymocytes after heroin administration by immunofluores-cence in frozen rat thymus sections using the 4H11 monoclonal anti-CD34 antibody. There is a remarkable decrease in the number of CD34+ immature thymocytes when examined 1hour after last heroin injection and a small recover when examination took place 20 days after last injection. The above results suggest a major effect of heroin administration early in the ma- turation process of T lymphocytes probably by increasing the apoptotic cell death and the ne- gative consequences for the immune system responses.