title: The First Line of Defense: The Effects of Alcohol on Post-Burn Intestinal Barrier, Immune Cells, and Microbiome.
abstract: Alcohol (ethanol) is one of the most globally abused substances, and is one of the leading causes of premature death in the world. As a result of its complexity and direct contact with ingested alcohol, the intestine represents the primary source from which alcohol-associated pathologies stem. The gut is the largest reservoir of bacteria in the body, and under healthy conditions, it maintains a barrier preventing bacteria from translocating out of the intestinal lumen. The intestinal barrier is compromised following alcohol exposure, which can lead to life-threatening systemic complications including sepsis and multiple organ failure. Furthermore, alcohol is a major confounding factor in pathology associated with trauma. Experimental data from both human and animal studies suggest that alcohol perturbs the intestinal barrier and its function, which is exacerbated by a "second hit" from traumatic injury. This article highlights the role of alcohol-mediated alterations of the intestinal epithelia and its defense against bacteria within the gut, and the impact of alcohol on intestinal immunity, specifically on T cells and neutrophils. Finally, it discusses how the gut microbiome both contributes to and protects the intestines from dysbiosis after alcohol exposure and trauma.
authors.affiliation: Program in Integrative Cellular Biology, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, Illinois.
authors.forename: Adam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.affiliation: Program in Integrative Cellular Biology, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, Illinois.
authors.forename: Niya L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Program in Integrative Cellular Biology, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, Illinois.
authors.forename: Zachary M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Earley
authors.affiliation: Burn and Shock Trauma Research Institute, Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division, Maywood, Illinois.
authors.forename: Mashkoor A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Choudhry
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000276:immunology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D018988:Bacterial Translocation / Q000276:immunology; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D064806:Dysbiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology