Granulocyte Function in Response to Acute Alcohol Consumption: Temporal Shifts from Pro-Inflammatory Activation to Anti-Inflammatory Modulation in Healthy Volunteers

Scritto il 06/06/2025
da Ramona Sturm

J Leukoc Biol. 2025 Jun 6:qiaf081. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiaf081. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

While chronic alcohol use is proinflammatory, the immune effects of acute intake remain unclear. We examined granulocyte responses to binge drinking, common in youth. Twenty-two volunteers consumed 12 alcoholic drinks over 4h (BAC 1.0‰). Blood was collected at baseline (T0), 2h (T2), 4h (T4), 6h (T6), 24h (T24), and 48h (T48) post-intake. IL-6 and M30 (inflammation, cell death) were analyzed by ELISA; CXCL10 and MPO gene expression in PMNLs by qRT-PCR; CD62L and TLR4 on CD16+ granulocytes by flow cytometry; inflammasome activation post-LPS/ATP stimulation; and PMNL-adhesion to A549 lung cells. IL-6 increased significantly at T2-T6; M30 peaked at T4, decreasing at T24-T48. CXCL10 and MPO increased at T2-T4; MPO declined at T24-T48. TLR4-positive granulocytes increased at T2-T4. Active caspase-1 rose over 48h, while stimulated activation declined at T4, T24. CD62L increased at T2 before declining. PMNL-adhesion decreased significantly at T24-T48. Acute alcohol triggers early inflammation followed by immune suppression.

PMID:40479504 | DOI:10.1093/jleuko/qiaf081