Alcohol and the Immune System

tions of alcohol abuse is its effect on the immune system. Excess alcohol consumption may lead to immune deficiency, causing increased susceptibility to certain diseases. Life-threatening complications of alcoholism such as liver disease and liver failure may have a component of autoimmunity, in which the immune system turns on the body’s own tissues. This section describes current research that is providing new insights into the regulation of the immune system in people who drink alcohol heavily by examining alcohol-related alterations in the cells and molecules that shape the immune response. It also describes some of the exciting new techniques that are being designed to improve or restore immune function by manipulation of these cells and molecules. Although much remains to be learned, researchers are making rapid progress in understanding alcohol-related immune disorders.