title: Monocytes, alcohol use, and altered immunity.
abstract: The immunomodulatory capacity of acute, moderate alcohol consumption was investigated in this study in nonalcoholic volunteers after 2 ml of vodka/kg body weight of alcohol consumption. There was a significant, transient increase in interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) levels in whole blood samples collected 4 hr after alcohol consumption in response to an ex vivo bacterial challenge with lipopolysaccharide (p < 0.02). However, decreased IFNgamma levels were produced by mononuclear cells collected later after alcohol consumption (16 hr), suggesting that acute alcohol consumption has a biphasic effect on IFNgamma inducibility. Furthermore, isolated blood monocytes collected 16 hr after alcohol consumption showed significantly decreased IL-1beta production in response to subsequent bacterial stimulation, implying that in vivo alcohol consumption affects monocyte-derived inflammatory cytokine production. These results demonstrate that even acute, moderate alcohol consumption has a modulating capacity on immune functions that may contribute to decreased immunity and host defense.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester 01655, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szabo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000276:immunology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D000431:Ethanol; D007371:Interferon-gamma