BACKGROUND: Increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E values are frequently found in alcoholics. Cytokines produced by T-helper-2 (Th2) lymphocytes are required for IgE synthesis. Chronic alcoholism is associated with altered cytokine balance. This study analyzed the relationship between Th1 and Th2 cytokine production by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum IgE levels, both in atopic and nonatopic alcoholics. METHODS: Twenty-five patients admitted to the hospital with alcohol withdrawal syndrome were included in the study. Five were classified as atopic and 20 as nonatopic by means of skin-prick tests. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and interferon gamma were measured in the supernatants of 48-hr cultures of PBMCs stimulated with phytohemagglutinin. Total serum IgE was measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. Results were compared with those of 15 healthy controls (seven atopics and eight nonatopics). RESULTS: Total serum IgE concentrations were higher in alcoholics than in controls, in both atopic and nonatopic subjects. The ratio of IL-4 to interferon gamma production by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs (as an approach to Th2/Th1 balance) was significantly lower in alcoholics than in healthy controls, both in the atopic and in the nonatopic group. No difference was observed regarding IL-10, IL-12, and IL-13 production between alcoholics and controls. No correlation was demonstrated between cytokine production and total serum IgE levels in any group. CONCLUSIONS: Increased total serum IgE is observed in alcoholics together with a paradoxically low ratio of Th2 to Th1 cytokine production by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs. These findings are independent of the atopic status of patients.
BACKGROUND: Increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E values are frequently found in alcoholics. Cytokines produced by T-helper-2 (Th2) lymphocytes are required for IgE synthesis. Chronic alcoholism is associated with altered cytokine balance. This study analyzed the relationship between Th1 and Th2 cytokine production by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum IgE levels, both in atopic and nonatopic alcoholics. METHODS: Twenty-five patients admitted to the hospital with alcohol withdrawal syndrome were included in the study. Five were classified as atopic and 20 as nonatopic by means of skin-prick tests. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and interferon gamma were measured in the supernatants of 48-hr cultures of PBMCs stimulated with phytohemagglutinin. Total serum IgE was measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. Results were compared with those of 15 healthy controls (seven atopics and eight nonatopics). RESULTS: Total serum IgE concentrations were higher in alcoholics than in controls, in both atopic and nonatopic subjects. The ratio of IL-4 to interferon gamma production by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs (as an approach to Th2/Th1 balance) was significantly lower in alcoholics than in healthy controls, both in the atopic and in the nonatopic group. No difference was observed regarding IL-10, IL-12, and IL-13 production between alcoholics and controls. No correlation was demonstrated between cytokine production and total serum IgE levels in any group. CONCLUSIONS: Increased total serum IgE is observed in alcoholics together with a paradoxically low ratio of Th2 to Th1 cytokine production by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs. These findings are independent of the atopic status of patients.
Authors: Christa M Helms; Ilhem Messaoudi; Sophia Jeng; Willard M Freeman; Kent E Vrana; Kathleen A Grant Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2011-12-05 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Marcia C A Teixeira; Flavia T F Pacheco; Joelma N Souza; Mônica L S Silva; Elizabete J Inês; Neci M Soares Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2016-12-26 Impact factor: 3.411
Authors: Tea Skaaby; Tuomas O Kilpeläinen; Amy E Taylor; Yuvaraj Mahendran; Andrew Wong; Tarunveer S Ahluwalia; Lavinia Paternoster; Stella Trompet; David J Stott; Claudia Flexeder; Ang Zhou; Guy Brusselle; Ayesha Sajjad; Lies Lahousse; Henning Tiemeier; Christian Theil Have; Betina H Thuesen; Line Lund Kårhus; Line Tang Møllehave; Katja Biering Leth-Møller; Daniel Mønsted Shabanzadeh; Arturo Gonzalez-Quintela; Chris Power; Elina Hyppönen; Diana Kuh; Rebecca Hardy; Thomas Meitinger; J Wouter Jukema; Uwe Völker; Matthias Nauck; Henry Völzke; Nele Friedrich; Tobias N Bonten; Raymond Noordam; Dennis O Mook-Kanamori; Janne S Tolstrup; Christian Taube; Annette Peters; Harald Grallert; Konstantin Strauch; Holger Schulz; Niels Grarup; Torben Hansen; Oluf Pedersen; Stephen Burgess; Marcus R Munafò; Allan Linneberg Journal: Addiction Date: 2018-10-30 Impact factor: 7.256