Dendritic cells in chronic in vivo ethanol exposure models

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in the initiation of effective immune responses against infectious agents because they are unique in their ability to provide antigen-specific activation of naïve T cells. To do this, they must acquire antigen and migrate to spleen or lymph node to present the antigen to T cells in association with costimulatory molecules and cytokines. Murine models of chronic EtOH exposure have been developed for dissecting the mechanisms by which EtOH alters immune cell functions. This chapter details methods for assessing DC functions in such models. Methods are presented for 1) the identification and isolation of various DC subsets from spleen, epidermis, and lung, 2) measurement of LC migration out of epidermis and DC migration into peripheral and peribronchial lymph nodes, and 3) measurement of alloantigen presentation in vitro as well as transgenic T-cell activation in vitro and in vivo.