IMMUNE FUNCTION IN ALCOHOLISM - A CONTROLLED-STUDY

Several studies have shown an increased risk for infection and cancer in alcoholic patients. The mechanisms for such observations remain lar gely unknown. In an effort to investigate the possibility of immunolog ical dysfunction in alcoholism, we studied three immune parameters in 47 hospitalized chronic alcoholic patients and 47 age- and sex-matched normal controls. The immune measures were: (1) lymphocyte phenotyping , with estimates of percentages of T cells, B cells, T helpers, T supp ressors, natural killer (NK) cells, and cells carrying the activation markers IL2R1 and I2; (2) NK cell activity; and (3) lymphokine-activat ed killer cell activity. Results indicate a significant increase in th e IL2R and I2 lymphocyte markers in alcoholic patients compared with m atched controls. We also found a nonsignificant trend for a decrease i n the percentage of suppressor T cells in the alcoholic group, as well as a trend for a negative correlation between the percentage of T sup pressor cells and age. There were no significant differences in either NK or lymphokine-activated killer cell activities between the two gro ups. Furthermore, there were no significant associations between durat ion and intensity of alcohol consumption and any of the immune measure s. These results suggest subtle alterations in immune regulation in al coholic patients that cannot be explained solely on the basis of durat ion and/or amount of alcohol consumed.