Ethanol exacerbates T cell dysfunction after thermal injury.
To understand the mechanism of suppressed immunity following alcohol consumption and thermal injury, we analyzed T cell functions in a mouse model of acute alcohol exposure and burn injury. Mice with blood alcohol levels at approximately 100 mg/dl were given a 15% scald or sham injury. Mice were sacrificed 48 h after injury. Our data demonstrated a 20-25% decrease in Con A-mediated splenic T cell proliferation (p<0.01) and 45-50% decrease in interleukin-2 (IL-2) production (p<0.01) following burn injury compared to the T cells from sham animals. A further decrease in the proliferation (25-30%) and IL-2 production (40-45%) was detected in T cells derived from burned animals receiving alcohol as compared to burn alone. No significant change in the proliferation and IL-2 production was observed in splenic T cells derived from sham-injured mice regardless of alcohol exposure. Additionally, there was no demonstrable difference in splenocyte apoptosis in any treatment group. These results suggest that alcohol consumption prior to burn injury causes a greater decrease in T cell proliferation and IL-2 production compared to either burn or alcohol injury alone that may further attenuate the cell-mediated immunity and thus enhance susceptibility to infection.
Choudhry
M A
MA
Burn and Shock Trauma Institute, Loyola University Chicago Medical Center, 2160 South First Avenue, 60153, Maywood, IL, USA. mchoudh@lumc.edu
Messingham
K A
KA
Namak
S
S
Colantoni
A
A
Fontanilla
C V
CV
Duffner
L A
LA
Sayeed
M M
MM
Kovacs
E J
EJ
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002056:Burns / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D007376:Interleukin-2; D000431:Ethanol