Serum cytokines and increased total serum IgE in alcoholics.
BACKGROUND
It has been reported that total serum IgE is increased in alcohol abusers, but the mechanisms responsible are not known. Production of IgE depends on B-cell stimulation by both antigens and some cytokines, particularly IL-4 and IL-13. Chronic alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease are accompanied by changes in cytokine production.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate if IgE increase in alcoholics could be associated to a ethanol-induced imbalance of the cytokine profile.


METHODS
A total of 65 patients (53 males and 12 females, aged 47 +/- 12 years), admitted to the hospital because of ethanol abstinence symptoms entered the study. On admission, total serum IgE was measured by chemiluminescent EIA and serum IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and interferon-gamma were measured by ELISA. Data were compared with those of 40 healthy control subjects.


RESULTS
Serum IgE, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-13 were found to be high in alcoholic patients compared with healthy volunteers. Some parallelism was observed between serum IgE and both serum IL-10 and IL-13 were increased in alcoholics.


CONCLUSIONS
Total serum IgE elevation in alcoholics with abstinence syndrome is accompanied by an increase of some type 2 cytokines. Ethanol-induced alterations in the cytokine profile may contribute to increased IgE levels in alcoholics.
González-Quintela
A
A
Department of Internal Medicine, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, Spain.
Vidal
C
C
Lojo
S
S
Pérez
L F
LF
Otero-Antón
E
E
Gude
F
F
Barrio
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000097:blood; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood
D016207:Cytokines; D018793:Interleukin-13; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E