Abstract
Alcohol affects many organs, including the immune system, with even moderate amounts of alcohol influencing immune responses. Although alcohol can alter the actions of all cell populations involved in the innate and adaptive immune responses, the effect in many cases is a subclinical immunosuppression that becomes clinically relevant only after a secondary insult (e.g., bacterial or viral infection or other tissue damage). Alcohol’s specific effects on the innate immune system depend on the pattern of alcohol exposure, with acute alcohol inhibiting and chronic alcohol accelerating inflammatory responses. The proinflammatory effects of chronic alcohol play a major role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease and pancreatitis, but also affect numerous other organs and tissues. In addition to promoting proinflammatory immune responses, alcohol also impairs anti-inflammatory cytokines. Chronic alcohol exposure also interferes with the normal functioning of all aspects of the adaptive immune response, including both cell-mediated and humoral responses. All of these effects enhance the susceptibility of chronic alcoholics to viral and bacterial infections and to sterile inflammation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Alcohol Research: Current Reviews |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 27 2015 |
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Keywords
- Acute alcohol exposure
- Adaptive immune response
- Alcohol consumption
- Alcohol effects and consequences
- Alcohol exposure
- Alcohol use pattern
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Anti-inflammatory
- Bacterial disease
- Chronic alcohol exposure
- Immune response
- Immune system
- Immunity
- Immunosuppression
- Infection
- Inflammation
- Inflammatory response
- Innate immune response
- Pancreatitis
- Proinflammatory response
- Viral disease
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Clinical Psychology
Cite this
Alcohol’s effect on host defense. / Szabó, G.; Saha, Banishree.
In: Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, Vol. 37, No. 2, 27.06.2015.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Alcohol’s effect on host defense
AU - Szabó, G.
AU - Saha, Banishree
PY - 2015/6/27
Y1 - 2015/6/27
N2 - Alcohol affects many organs, including the immune system, with even moderate amounts of alcohol influencing immune responses. Although alcohol can alter the actions of all cell populations involved in the innate and adaptive immune responses, the effect in many cases is a subclinical immunosuppression that becomes clinically relevant only after a secondary insult (e.g., bacterial or viral infection or other tissue damage). Alcohol’s specific effects on the innate immune system depend on the pattern of alcohol exposure, with acute alcohol inhibiting and chronic alcohol accelerating inflammatory responses. The proinflammatory effects of chronic alcohol play a major role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease and pancreatitis, but also affect numerous other organs and tissues. In addition to promoting proinflammatory immune responses, alcohol also impairs anti-inflammatory cytokines. Chronic alcohol exposure also interferes with the normal functioning of all aspects of the adaptive immune response, including both cell-mediated and humoral responses. All of these effects enhance the susceptibility of chronic alcoholics to viral and bacterial infections and to sterile inflammation.
AB - Alcohol affects many organs, including the immune system, with even moderate amounts of alcohol influencing immune responses. Although alcohol can alter the actions of all cell populations involved in the innate and adaptive immune responses, the effect in many cases is a subclinical immunosuppression that becomes clinically relevant only after a secondary insult (e.g., bacterial or viral infection or other tissue damage). Alcohol’s specific effects on the innate immune system depend on the pattern of alcohol exposure, with acute alcohol inhibiting and chronic alcohol accelerating inflammatory responses. The proinflammatory effects of chronic alcohol play a major role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease and pancreatitis, but also affect numerous other organs and tissues. In addition to promoting proinflammatory immune responses, alcohol also impairs anti-inflammatory cytokines. Chronic alcohol exposure also interferes with the normal functioning of all aspects of the adaptive immune response, including both cell-mediated and humoral responses. All of these effects enhance the susceptibility of chronic alcoholics to viral and bacterial infections and to sterile inflammation.
KW - Acute alcohol exposure
KW - Adaptive immune response
KW - Alcohol consumption
KW - Alcohol effects and consequences
KW - Alcohol exposure
KW - Alcohol use pattern
KW - Alcoholic liver disease
KW - Anti-inflammatory
KW - Bacterial disease
KW - Chronic alcohol exposure
KW - Immune response
KW - Immune system
KW - Immunity
KW - Immunosuppression
KW - Infection
KW - Inflammation
KW - Inflammatory response
KW - Innate immune response
KW - Pancreatitis
KW - Proinflammatory response
KW - Viral disease
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84941145818&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84941145818&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Review article
C2 - 26695755
AN - SCOPUS:84941145818
VL - 37
JO - Alcohol research : current reviews
JF - Alcohol research : current reviews
SN - 2168-3492
IS - 2
ER -