Reversibility of alcohol-induced immune depression.

Alcohol abusers have suppressed cellular immune function. The aim of the study was to investigate the time of sobriety required to normalize immune function. Delayed hypersensitivity was investigated during disulfiram controlled abstinence in ten heavy alcoholics and in seven moderate drinkers without liver diseases. For comparison a control group of eight previous drinkers was tested. The skin test responses were modest initially with a median area of response of 12 mm2 (range 0-31) in the heavy alcoholics and 3 mm2 (0-15) in the moderate drinkers. It improved significantly in both groups after two weeks of sobriety. The responses stabilized after 8 weeks at 74 mm2 (54-102) in the heavy alcoholics and after 9 weeks at 63 mm2 (42-76) in the moderate drinking group. The control group had skin test responses of 70 mm2 (46-87), not different from the responses of the alcohol groups after two months of abstinence. The results suggest that while 2 weeks of abstinence from alcohol will improve the depressed cellular immunity, 2 months of sobriety is necessary to normalize it.