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Ethanol: An Enhancer of Transplantation Antigen Expression
Author(s) -
Singer Dinah S.,
Parent Leslie J.,
Kolber Michael A.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1989.tb00360.x
Subject(s) - antigen , major histocompatibility complex , immune system , biology , immunology , population , mhc class i , cell , transplantation , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , medicine , environmental health
Major histocompatibility antigens (MHC) play a pivotal role in the immune response. Abnormal expression of MHC antigens has been correlated with aberrant regulation of the immune response. Studies on the effect of ethanol on class I MHC antigens demonstrate that ethanol significantly enhances their cell surface expression in a variety of cell lines in vitro. These changes in cell surface levels reflect increased intracellular protein synthesis and increased steady state mRNA levels. The effective ethanol concentrations (0.1‐1.0%) are physiologically attainable. Measurement of class I MHC antigens on peripheral blood lymphocytes in a population of acutely ethanol‐intoxicated patients showed a highly significant increase relative to controls. The possibility that the elevated levels of MHC antigens induced by ethanol may play a role in the evolution of ethanol‐related disease is discussed.