Alcohol, immunomodulation, and disease

Recent research findings point to a spectrum of alcohol-induced immune dysfunctions in animal models and humans. Use of alcohol in vivo causes abnormalities in the function and/or structure of a broad array of cells involved in humoral and cellular immunity, including lymphocytes, Kupffer cells and...

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Published inAlcohol and alcoholism (Oxford) Vol. 29; no. 2; p. 131
Main Authors Watson, R R, Borgs, P, Witte, M, McCuskey, R S, Lantz, C, Johnson, M I, Mufti, S I, Earnest, D L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.03.1994
Subjects
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - immunology
Alcoholism - immunology
Animals
Disease Susceptibility - immunology
Humans
Immune Tolerance - immunology
Immunity, Cellular - immunology
Liver Diseases, Alcoholic - immunology
Neoplasms - immunology
Risk Factors
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Summary:Recent research findings point to a spectrum of alcohol-induced immune dysfunctions in animal models and humans. Use of alcohol in vivo causes abnormalities in the function and/or structure of a broad array of cells involved in humoral and cellular immunity, including lymphocytes, Kupffer cells and other macrophages, as well as the endothelium of blood vessels and lymphatics. Regulatory cytokines and neuroendocrine factors can mediate some of these immunomodulatory effects which may be further re-phased, exaggerated or unbalanced by other drugs of misuse. A variety of animal models is available to study acute and chronic alcoholism, non-alcohol drug misuse, AIDS as well as other opportunistic infections, and neoplasias, which hold promise of clarifying the role of alcohol as an immunomodulator.
ISSN:0735-0414
DOI:10.1093/oxfordjournals.alcalc.a045499