Effects of acute ethanol exposure on cellular immune responses in a murine model of thermal injury.

To test the effects of acute ethanol exposure on immune function after thermal injury, mice with blood alcohol levels of 100 mg/dL were given a 15% total body surface area dorsal scald or sham injury. Bacterial challenge resulted in 100 and 40% mortality in burn + ethanol- and burn + vehicle-treated mice, respectively. Delayed-type hypersensitivity responses were also significantly suppressed in burn + ethanol-treated mice. At 1 and 4 days post-burn, concanavalin A (ConA) -induced total splenocyte proliferation in burn + ethanol-treated groups was significantly decreased (P < 0.01) compared with burn + vehicle- or sham-treated animals. This decrease was not observed in total splenocytes cultured with anti-CD3epsilon or among adherence-depleted splenocytes given ConA or anti-CD3epsilon. FACS analyses revealed no changes in splenocyte sub-type ratios in burn + ethanol mice. The data herein demonstrate that acute ethanol exposure before thermal injury results in enhanced susceptibility to bacterial infection and markedly suppressed cellular immunity, which appears to be macrophage dependent.