In addition, the incidence of infections with Klebsiella pneumoniae also is increased in people with AUD and seems to cause disproportionate rates of lung infection and high mortality in this population (Feldman et al. 1990; Limson et al. 1956). The alveolar macrophages eliminate pathogens by ingesting them—a process known as phagocytosis—whereas neutrophils are involved in inflammatory responses. The pattern-recognition receptors (i.e., TLRs, NLRs, and helicase receptors) found on innate immune cells play a pivotal role particularly in the defense against viral infections.

Alcohol and the Adaptive Immune Response

Over time, drinking can also damage your frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for executive functions, like abstract reasoning, decision making, social behavior, and performance. Slurred speech, a key sign of intoxication, happens because alcohol reduces communication between your brain and body. This makes speech and coordination — think reaction time and balance — more difficult. People who binge drink or drink heavily may notice more health effects sooner, but alcohol also poses some risks for people who drink in moderation. Many people assume the occasional beer or glass of wine at mealtimes or special occasions doesn’t pose much cause for concern.

What does it mean to drink in moderation?

It causes conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. With such conditions, the body’s immune system attacks not only invaders but also its own cells. So if the liver’s immune system is does alcohol weaken your immune system unnecessarily activated due to heavy drinking, it can lead to liver disease. And it’s not just that you’re more likely to get a cold — excessive drinking is linked to pneumonia and other pulmonary diseases.

What Is It Like to Stop Drinking for Dry January? 3 Women Open Up About Their Experiences

• Infection with viral hepatitis accelerates the progression of ALD, and end-stage liver disease from viral hepatitis, together with ALD, is the main reason for liver transplantations in the United States.
• In addition to producing proinflammatory cytokines, innate immune cells (particularly DCs and monocytes) are necessary to present pathogen-derived molecules (i.e., antigens) to adaptive immune cells so as to trigger or facilitate adaptive immune responses.
• But when you ingest too much alcohol for your liver to process in a timely manner, a buildup of toxic substances begins to take a toll on your liver.
• That is, by drinking too much, you decrease your body’s defensive mechanisms to fight off a cold, virus, or other bacterial or viral infections.

Infection with viral hepatitis accelerates the progression of ALD, and end-stage liver disease from viral hepatitis, together with ALD, is the main reason for liver transplantations in the United States. The article by Dolganiuc in this issue explores the synergistic effects of alcohol and hepatitis viruses on the progression of liver disease as well as alcohol consumption’s injurious effect on liver antiviral immunity. Mandrekar and Ju contribute an article that homes in on the role of macrophages in ALD development, including recent insights into the origin, heterogeneity, and plasticity of macrophages in liver disease and the signaling mediators involved in their activation and accumulation. Several lines of evidence suggest that alcohol consumption exerts a dose-dependent impact on the host response to infection. Chronic alcohol abuse leads to increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections, most notably a 3 to 7-fold increase in susceptibility (Schmidt and De Lint 1972) and severity (Saitz, Ghali et al. 1997) of bacterial pneumonia compared with control subjects. Similarly, the incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection among alcoholics is increased (Sabot and Vendrame 1969, Hudolin 1975, Kline, Hedemark et al. 1995, Panic and Panic 2001).

Recent studies have shown that the microbiome modulates immunity in the gut, and in turn, immunity modulates the microbiome in the gut (Belkaid and Hand 2014). Only two studies have examined alcohol-induced changes in colonic (Mutlu, Gillevet et al. 2012) and https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/why-is-alcohol-addictive/ fecal microbiomes (Chen, Yang et al. 2011), and both studies focused on individuals with AUD. Microglia express PRRs, produce cytokines, and modulate neuroinflammatory reactions in brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases (Block, Zecca et al. 2007).

A Change in Body Temperature

• The redness and swelling that you see is the result of your body sending more blood to provide nutrients to the site of injury.
• These cells act primarily against pathogens that are found outside the cells.
• When you stop drinking, you might notice a range of physical, emotional, or mental health symptoms that ease as soon as you have a drink.
• Several studies observed decreased numbers of neutrophils in people with AUD.
• Increases in IL-7 and IL-15, which are critical for T cell survival, may be compensatory mechanisms for reduced IL-2 levels.
• It can also lead to complications after surgery and poor recovery from injuries such as broken bones.