Search resultsA recent perspective on alcohol, immunity, and host defense
Title
A recent perspective on alcohol, immunity, and host defense
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2009
Authors
Journal
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Volume
33
Issue
2
Pagination
220 - 232
Date published
2009
ISBN
01456008 (ISSN)
Keywords
adaptive immunity, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, alcohol liver disease, Animals, bacterial infection, burn, cardiovascular disease, Central Nervous System Depressants, disease predisposition, Ethanol, highly active antiretroviral therapy, host pathogen interaction, host resistance, human, Humans, immune system, immunomodulation, infection, inflammation, injury, Innate and adaptive immunity, innate immunity, lung infection, Macrophages, nonhuman, Pancreatitis, priority journal, review, T cells, Toll-like receptors, virus hepatitis, virus infection
Abstract
Background: Multiple line of clinical and experimental evidence demonstrates that both acute, moderate, and chronic, excessive alcohol use result in various abnormalities in the functions of the immune system. Methods: Medline and Pubmed databases were used to identify published reports with particular interest in the period of 2000-2008 in the subject of alcohol use, infection, inflammation, innate, and adaptive immunity. Results: This review article summarizes recent findings relevant to acute or chronic alcohol use-induced immunomodulation and its consequences on host defense against microbial pathogens and tissue injury. Studies with in vivo and in vitro alcohol administration are both discussed. The effects of alcohol on lung infections, trauma and burn injury, liver, pancreas, and cardiovascular diseases are evaluated with respect to the role of immune cells. Specific changes in innate immune response and abnormalities in adaptive immunity caused by alcohol intake are detailed. Conclusion: Altered inflammatory cell and adaptive immune responses after alcohol consumption result in increased incidence and poor outcome of infections and other organ-specific immune-mediated effects. Copyright