title: Inhibition of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity by ethanol.
abstract: Ethanol has been shown to inhibit spontaneous cell-mediated cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The effect was observed under differing assay conditions such as incubation time and effector: target cell ratio. Acetaldehyde, the primary metabolite of ethanol, did not inhibit these functions of the immune system. A mixture of ethanol and acetaldehyde showed no interaction with respect to spontaneous and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. These observations may help to explain the apparently increased incidence of infection for individuals who chronically ingest large amounts of alcoholic beverages.
mesh_terms: D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000431:Ethanol; D000079:Acetaldehyde