In order to clarify the mechanism of heroin addicts death, besides changes in the
lungs, which were most frequently studied, changes in the heart muscle were also
observed. The weakening of the contractility of the myocardium and the binding of
the connective tissue in the heart muscle are considered to be the basis for the
development of possible pathogenetic mechanisms of dying. In order to define
micro-morphological changes on the myocardium, histochemical,
immunohistochemical and morphometric analysis determines the qualitative
characteristics of cardiomyocytes and connective tissue, as well as the number of
inflammatory cells in the myocardium (leucocytes, monocytes and macrophages, Tlymphocytes
and mastocytes) of 42 cadavers whose death is in relation to the heroin
abuse, and 10 cadavers from the control group. The quantification of these
parameters was performed by measuring the thickness of the myocardiocyte and
determining the percentage of connective tissue representation, and counting
specific cell types in 30 visual fields in each of the 6 myocardial samples taken from
the defined sites. The mean values were analyzed statistically. The connective tissue
was statistically significantly present in the heroin addicts myocard in relation to the
control group (p = 0.001). Cardiomyocytes were statistically significantly thicker in
heroine addicts for p = 0.005. The number of leukocyte was significantly lower in
the left ventricle compared to the right ventricle and the intraventricular septum (p =
0.02) for heroin addicts. Statistically significant differences between the sexes and
between the groups defined by the length of heroin use were not recorded for the
analyzed parameters. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, presence of connective tissue,
and the presence of certain immune response cells indicate that prolonged use of the
herion over time can lead to dysfunction of the heart muscle and heartbeat system,
which may represent the cause of the death of heroin addicts