Ethanol Consumption and Sepsis: Mechanisms of Organ Damage

Abstract

Sepsis is highly prevalent, and is one of the main causes of mortality among hospitalized patients. Ethanol consumption in large quantities compromises the normal functioning of the body, leading to dysfunction of multiple different organ systems. The association between sepsis and ethanol is not fully understood, but it is well accepted that ethanol consumption plays a role in the development of sepsis. Both sepsis and ethanol cause inflammatory dysfunction and promote oxidative stress. Antioxidant agents may be highly relevant targets to abrogate the effects of sepsis in patients who also consume large amounts of ethanol. This review focuses on presenting the main mechanisms involved between sepsis and ethanol consumption, and to describe the main antioxidants that have been used as therapeutic agents.

Clinical biomarker profiles reveals gender differences and mortality factors in sepsis

“…We found that male patients showed significant differences from females in terms of history of alcohol consumption and smoking. There is currently no research evidence that smoking directly leads to sepsis, while existing studies have found that long-term ethanol consumption increases the risk of sepsis ( 22 ), possibly explaining the higher number of male patients over the three years. Current research focuses on the impact of smoking and alcohol abuse on the outcome of sepsis.…”

“…While the effect of smoking on immune function is well documented ( 23 ), the overall impact of smoking on the clinical outcomes of sepsis is not clear, with some ( 24 , 25 ) but not all ( 24 , 26 , 27 ) reports indicating adverse effects of smoking on sepsis outcomes. Alcohol consumption affects the immune system’s response, regulating the function of most immune cells, thereby compromising effective immune responses and leading to decreased resistance to infection ( 28 , 29 ); chronic alcohol abuse has been shown to increase the mortality rate of sepsis ( 22 ), with an increased mortality rate of sepsis observed in animal models of sepsis after excessive ethanol consumption ( 29 , 30 ). Sepsis patients with a history of chronic alcohol abuse significantly increased the likelihood of respiratory impairment and had a higher risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome, a leading cause of death, possibly through altering lung glutathione homeostasis ( 28 ); moreover, alcohol abuse easily leads to alcohol-related liver disease ( 29 ), and sepsis is one of the most common complications and causes of death in patients with alcohol-related liver disease ( 31 ), possibly related to impaired formation of neutrophil extracellular traps and weakened phagocytosis ( 32 ).…”