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Reversibility of alcohol‐induced immune depression

TØNNESEN, HANNE LU ; KAISER, ANNA H.H. ; NIELSEN, BEATRICE B. and PEDERSEN, ANNE E. (1992) In British Journal of Addiction 87(7). p.1025-1028
Abstract

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, ft 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... (More)

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, ft 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 lest 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.

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author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
British Journal of Addiction
volume
87
issue
7
pages
4 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0026772807
  • pmid:1643394
ISSN
0952-0481
DOI
10.1111/j.1360-0443.1992.tb03119.x
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
1b94ba00-3a7a-4fb0-b506-7c1bcb150f5b
date added to LUP
2022-10-31 16:54:22
date last changed
2024-01-02 20:26:15
@article{1b94ba00-3a7a-4fb0-b506-7c1bcb150f5b,
  abstract     = {{<p>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 mm<sup>2</sup> (range 0–31) in the heavy alcoholics and 3 mm<sup>2</sup> (0–15) in the moderate drinkers, ft improved significantly in both groups after two weeks of sobriety. The responses stabilized after 8 weeks at 74 mm<sup>2</sup> (54–102) in the heavy alcoholics and after 9 weeks at 63 mm<sup>2</sup> (42–76) in the moderate drinking group. The control group had skin lest responses of 70 mm<sup>2</sup> (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.</p>}},
  author       = {{TØNNESEN, HANNE and KAISER, ANNA H.H. and NIELSEN, BEATRICE B. and PEDERSEN, ANNE E.}},
  issn         = {{0952-0481}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{1025--1028}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Addiction}},
  title        = {{Reversibility of alcohol‐induced immune depression}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.1992.tb03119.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1360-0443.1992.tb03119.x}},
  volume       = {{87}},
  year         = {{1992}},
}