Journal
ALCOHOL
Volume 45, Issue 6, Pages 523-539Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2011.02.305
Keywords
Pneumococcus; S pneumoniae; Alcohol; Innate immune response; Adaptive immune response; Pathogenesis
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Funding
- NIAAA NIH HHS [R01 AA009505, R01 AA009505-12] Funding Source: Medline
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Alcohol is the most frequently abused substance in the world. Both acute and chronic alcohol consumption have diverse and well-documented effects on the human immune system, leading to increased susceptibility to infections like bacterial pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumonine is the most common bacterial etiology of community-acquired pneumonia worldwide. The frequency and severity of pneumococcal infections in individuals with a history of alcohol abuse is much higher than the general population. Despite this obvious epidemiological relevance, very few experimental studies have focused on the interaction of pneumococci with the immune system of a host acutely or chronically exposed to alcohol. Understanding these host-pathogen interactions is imperative for designing effective prophylactic and therapeutic interventions for such populations. Recent advances in pneumococcal research have greatly improved our understanding of pneumococcal pathogenesis and virulence mechanisms. Additionally, a large body of data is available on the effect of alcohol on the physiology of the lungs and the innate and adaptive immune system of the host. The purpose of this review is to integrate the available knowledge in these diverse areas of for a better understanding of the how the compromised immune system derived from alcohol exposure responds to pneumococcal infections. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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