The correlation between nuclear factor kappa B and hematological parameters among drug abusers in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria

Objectives: Drug or substance abuse, the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, has remained a growing concern in Nigeria, causing several health challenges to the abusers. Material and Methods: This study was carried out to evaluate the correlation between nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and hematological parameters among drug abusers in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Urine drug screening (tetrahydrocannabinol, cocaine, amphetamine, opioid, and benzodiazepine) was determined using an immunochemical chromatography test kit. NF-κB levels were estimated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while hematological parameters were determined using a hematology autoanalyzer. Results: The results obtained showed that NF-κB, packed cell volume (PCV), lymphocytes (LYM), monocytes (MON), and eosinophils (EOS) were significantly higher, while neutrophils (NEU) were significantly lower in confirmed drug abusers compared with the control group ( p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in total white blood cell (TWBC) count, platelets (PLT), and basophils (BASO) of confirmed drug abusers compared with controls. Furthermore, LYM, MON, and EOS were significantly higher, while NEU was significantly lower in suspected drug abusers compared to the control group ( p < 0.05). There was no significant ( p > 0.05) difference in PCV, TWBC, PLT, BASO, and NF-κB in suspected subjects compared to the control. PCV and MON were significantly higher in males compared to females in hematological parameters according to gender, while there was no significant difference concerning age among the subjects. Conclusion: The study concluded that drug abuse influences inflammation and alters changes in hematological parameters of drug-abusing individuals.