Do immune Responses to Ethanol Metabolites and Cytokine Profiles Differentiate Alcoholics with or without Liver Disease?
Alcoholic liver disease is associated with the generation of IgAs and IgGs against acetaldehyde-derived antigens and enhanced levels of both pro- and antiinflammatory cytokines, whereas elevated IgA, IL-6, and IL-10 characterize alcoholics without liver disease. These data suggest that immunological mechanisms may play a role in the sequence of events leading to liver disease in some patients with excessive drinking.
NT may play a role in psoriasis pathogenesis and its worsening by stress, at least in part through activation of skin mast cells.