This is a clinical research group focussed on the complications that arise from alcohol and drug abuse, particularly opiates and cocaine.   The group is financed by public agencies and Themes networked funding by the Ministry of Health (RETICS-ISCIII), in this case the Addictive Disorders Network (RTA).

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Líneas de investigación

Medical Complications of alcohol use disorder

To characterize medical comorbidity of patients requesting treatment for alcohol use disorder: Alcoholic liver disease, immunological alterations, malnutrition, cardiovascular risk, neurological risk and viral infections, amongst other pathologies being studied.

Monitoring viral infections in patients with substance use disorder

• To establish diagnostics, clinical evaluation and access to treatment of common viral infections (i.e., HIV, Hepatitis B and C) in patients with substance use disorder
• To analyze the risk of developing disease such as  AIDS, liver cirrhosis or cancer and death

Mortality and substance use disorders

To describe the long-term evolution and outcomes of patients who abuse drugs or alcohol and knowing the causes of death as a function of comorbidity.

Intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic alterations

To study markers of inflammation, intestinal permeability and oxidative stress in a cohort of patients with alcohol use disorder.

Immune alterations associated with alcohol use disorder

To characterize the alterations of cellular immunity subsets in patients with alcohol use disorder according to the severity of alcoholic liver disease and to determine the molecular mechanisms that make alcohol use disorder at risk of immunodeficiency.

Members of the group

The members of this group are all based at the Germans Trias University Hospital. They are employed by the hospital, or by the Catalan Health Institute and are affiliated to the IGTP.

Robert Muga Bustamante(ELIMINAR) (Group Leader and PI)
Daniel fuster Martí,(ELIMINAR) (PI)
Xavier García-Calvo
Anna Hernandez
Jordi Tor Aguiler(ELIMINAR)
Arantza Sanvisens Bergé(ELIMINAR)
Paola Zuluaga Blanco(ELIMINAR)

Collaborations

The Medical Complications of Substance Abuse group works with researchers from other institutions. The group has a long collaboration with Dr. Ferran Bolao of the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge (Department of Internal Medicine/Addiction Unit), who provides samples, collects data and has worked for years on the cohort of drug users admitted to hospital detoxification.

Dr. Inmaculada Rivas of the Municipal Center of Substance Abuse Treatment (Centro Delta) at Badalona Serveis Assistencials is also a long term collaborator on the projects related to Methadone Treatment Programs.