IMMUNOLOGICAL STATUS OF HEALTHY-SUBJECTS AFTER A SINGLE INTAKE OF ALCOHOL

Aim of study: To ascertain whether once-only intake of a large amount of alcohol causes measurable effects on the immune system of healthy persons. Subjects and methods: Cytokine levels, lymphocyte subpopulations and mitogen stimulation were measured in eleven healthy nonalcohol drinking volunteers (eight men, three women; mean age 30.5 [26-36] years; mean weight 71.4 kg) after a single intake of 80 g ethanol (corresponding to 1.12 g/kg). Results: There were no changes in the concentrations of tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukins 1 alpha and 1 beta, 3, 6, 10, soluble interleukin-6 receptortor, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, gamma-interferon and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor. A tendency towards an increase was measured regarding the CD-4 lymphocyte count as well as the concentration of soluble interleukin-2 receptors and intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1). Interleukins 4 and 8 were low normal. Lymphocyte activity was slightly reduced in the mixed lymphocyte cytotoxicity test. No clear-cut changes were observed in the results of the other mitogen stimulation tests. Conclusion: These data show that once only intake of a large amount of alcohol does not produce measurable abnormalities in the immune system of healthy persons who ordinarily abstain from drinking alcohol.