Messaoudi Ilhem, Pasala Sumana, Grant Kathleen
Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Expert Rev Vaccines. 2014 Jul;13(7):817-9. doi: 10.1586/14760584.2014.924405. Epub 2014 May 29.
The impact of alcohol consumption on human health is complex and modulated by several factors such as patterns and amount of drinking, genetics, the organ system studied, as well as the sex and age of the user. There is strong evidence that chronic ethanol abuse is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to both bacterial and viral infections. In contrast, moderate alcohol consumption exerts positive effects including decreased mortality, and improved cardiovascular disease and insulin sensitivity. Interestingly, accumulating evidence also supports an immune-boosting effect of moderate alcohol. In this editorial, we summarize the findings that support a positive effect of moderate alcohol on host immunity. We also discuss the limitations of the previous data and emphasize the importance of additional studies to uncover mechanisms for these immune-stimulating effects in order to extend these benefits to vulnerable segments of the population who cannot consume alcohol.
酒精消费对人类健康的影响是复杂的，并且受到多种因素的调节，如饮酒模式和饮酒量、遗传因素、所研究的器官系统，以及饮酒者的性别和年龄。有强有力的证据表明，长期滥用乙醇与发病率和死亡率增加、免疫抑制以及对细菌和病毒感染易感性增加有关。相比之下，适度饮酒具有积极作用，包括降低死亡率、改善心血管疾病和胰岛素敏感性。有趣的是，越来越多的证据也支持适度饮酒具有增强免疫力的作用。在这篇社论中，我们总结了支持适度饮酒对宿主免疫有积极作用的研究结果。我们还讨论了先前数据的局限性，并强调了开展更多研究以揭示这些免疫刺激作用机制的重要性，以便将这些益处扩展到不能饮酒的易感人群。
