Concentrations of 25 mmol/L approximate blood alcohol levels of 0.1 percent, the legal limit for driving in many States. Concentrations of 100 mmol/L correspond to blood alcohol levels of approximately 0.4 percent, which are sometimes seen in alcoholics after acute alcohol consumption. TNF-α, one of the inflammatory mediators derived primarily from macrophages, plays a major role in antimycobacterial defense (Nelson et al. 1995; Flynn and Bloom 1996). This cytokine directly inhibits mycobacterial growth in vitro, recruits additional inflammatory cells, and induces the action of other antimycobacterial mediators (e.g., nitric oxide and reactive oxygen radicals). As a result of the decreased immune response, individuals who consume excessive amounts of alcohol are at a higher risk of developing infections.
Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Moderate Alcohol Intake
In a study examining the impact of moderate alcohol consumption on gene-expression patterns in blood cells (Joosten et al. 2012), young men consumed either 100 mL vodka with 200 mL orange juice or only orange juice daily during dinner for 4 weeks. After this period, the moderate-drinking participants exhibited down-regulation of a transcription factor (i.e., NF-Kappa B), modulation of pathways of antigen presentation, altered B- and T-cell receptor signaling, and reduced IL-15. The effects of chronic alcohol exposure are not limited to phenotypic changes in T cells but also include T-cell functions.
- In contrast to the devastating effects of chronic alcohol abuse, a few studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption increases the number of T cells; improves T-cell cytokine production; and enhances immune response to vaccines in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents.
- However, the exact roles of alcohol-induced aberrations in immune-cell interactions, antigen-presenting cell function, and IFN-γ and/or IL-12 production remain to be determined.
- Research indicates that alcohol alters immune cell activity, which may either dampen or exacerbate autoimmune responses, affecting disease progression and symptom severity.
Anti-inflammatory effects of low-to-moderate alcohol on the gut microbiome, gut metabolites and fatty acids
Tregs, which maintain immune tolerance and prevent excessive activation, are often https://ecosoberhouse.com/ reduced in number and function after prolonged alcohol consumption. This decline allows autoreactive T cells to become more active, increasing the risk of immune-mediated tissue damage. Conversely, alcohol enhances the activation of effector T cells, such as Th1 and Th17 cells, which are implicated in autoimmune diseases. A study in The Journal of Immunology found that alcohol-induced Th17 expansion correlates with increased interleukin-17 (IL-17) production, a cytokine known to drive inflammation in multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Alcoholic conditions not only influence innate immune response but also influence adaptive immune response by reduced lymphocyte content in the thymus due to reduced thymic size in chronic alcoholic individuals 50. Ethanol-fed animals are seen to have impaired T cell response against mitogen antigens and delayed-type hypersensitivity response 51,52.
Alcohol and Autoimmune Disease: What’s the Connection?
Learn more about cell health and the marijuana addiction power of your mitochondria in this episode of Take Back Your Health™. Alcoholics Anonymous is available almost everywhere and provides a place to openly and nonjudgmentally discuss alcohol issues with others who have alcohol use disorder. And prolonged alcohol use can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
- While moderate alcohol intake is not likely to interfere with the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine, excessive drinking can significantly weaken the body’s ability to respond effectively to vaccination, potentially reducing the vaccine’s protective effects.
- In recent decades, medical research has increasingly focused on understanding the relationship between alcohol use and immune function.
- Although the alcohol treatment did not impair the migration of phagocytes to the liver, it did impair the animals’ ability to inhibit Listeria growth.
- When the body detects a threat—such as pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses), chemical irritants, or damaged tissues from injury—it initiates an inflammatory response to eliminate the threat and promote healing.
- Antigen-specific responses are decreased in folate-deficient humans and animals (Dhur, Galan et al. 1991).
The balance of bacteria in the gut is essential for digestion, immune function, and other bodily processes. 1 Individual factors in adults that can moderate the effect of alcohol consumption on immunity. Alcohol not only alters the balance of inflammatory mediators but also alters the responders (macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, mast cells, T cells, and B cells) of the immune system to make the host susceptible to infections 28,29. Worldwide, men consume more alcohol than women, and American men are much more likely than women to use alcohol, alcohol and immune system binge drink, and report heavy drinking.