title: Daily moderate amounts of red wine or alcohol have no effect on the immune system of healthy men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the daily intake of red wine (RW) at a dose which inversely correlates with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk modulates immune functions in healthy men.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized single-blind trial with four intervention periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Institute of Nutritional Physiology, Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Karlsruhe, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 24 healthy males with moderate alcohol consumption patterns were recruited and all completed the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants consumed 500 ml of RW (12% ethanol (ETOH)) or 500 ml of a 12% ETOH dilution per day for a period of 2 weeks. To control the potential effects of RW polyphenols, accordingly 500 ml/day of dealcoholized red wine (DRW) and of red grape juice (RGJ) were given. The following immune parameters were measured before beverage consumption and at 1 and 2 weeks following beverage consumption: phagocytic activity of neutrophils and monocytes, production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin-2 and -4, transforming growth factor-beta, TNFalpha mRNA, lymphocyte proliferation, lytic activity of natural killer cells, and percentage of apoptotic lymphocytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consumption of a moderate volume of alcohol with RW and with a 12% ETOH dilution had no effect on immune functions in healthy males. Consumption of polyphenol-rich beverages (DRW and RGJ) did not affect immunity-related parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Daily moderate consumption of alcohol and of RW for 2 weeks at doses which inversely correlate with CVD risk has no adverse effects on human immune cell functions. Polyphenol-rich beverages such as RGJ and DRW further do not suppress immune responses in healthy men.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Physiology, Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Karlsruhe, Germany. bernhard.watzl@bfe.uni-karlsruhe.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Watzl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bub
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pretzer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roser
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rechkemmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000276:immunology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010636:Phenols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D059808:Polyphenols; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014920:Wine
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D059808:Polyphenols