ALCOHOL DECREASES T-LYMPHOCYTE MIGRATION INTO LUNG-TISSUE IN RESPONSETO PNEUMOCYSTIS-CARINII AND DEPLETES T-LYMPHOCYTE NUMBERS IN THE SPLEENS OF MICE

Previous work from our laboratory has shown that chronic alcohol consu mption in mice creates immunosuppression sufficient to permit infectio n with the opportunistic pathogen Pneumocystis carinii, Host defense a gainst P. carinii is critically dependent upon host T lymphocytes. In these experiments, we address the effect of chronic alcohol consumptio n on recruitment of T lymphocytes into infected lung tissue and on lym phocytes in host lymphoid tissue. We find that mice administered alcoh ol in drinking water and then inoculated with P. carinii show signific antly decreased recruitment of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes into lu ng tissue in comparison with control mice. Additional experiments show significant depletion of CD4(+) lymphocytes in spleens from alcohol m ice and decreased numbers of activated T lymphocytes. Analysis of surf ace expression of the adhesion molecules LFA-1, VLA-4, and ICAM-1 show no significant differences in lymphocytes from alcohol-consuming mice , and lymphocyte chemotaxis in vitro is also unaltered. We conclude th at chronic consumption of alcohol impairs lung recruitment of lymphocy tes in response to an infectious challenge. This impaired lymphocyte r ecruitment may be a consequence of depletion of T lymphocytes in host lymphoid tissue. Impaired recruitment of lymphocytes may explain the i ncreased morbidity and mortality of pulmonary infections in alcoholic subjects.