Alcohol consumption above a certain threshold is associated with an increase in total serum IgE levels. Alcohol consumption may also be associated with an increased prevalence of pollen sensitization.
Increased total serum IgE is observed in alcoholics together with a paradoxically low ratio of Th2 to Th1 cytokine production by phytohemagglutinin-stimulated PBMCs. These findings are independent of the atopic status of patients.
Our results support the notion that CD14/-159TT homozygous heavy drinkers have higher levels of the LPS-binding acute-phase proteins (LBP and sCD14) than do carriers of the CD14/-159C allele. Also, the CD14/-159TT genotype may be a risk factor for advanced ALD.
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