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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
05:12

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Published on: June 23, 2023

Alcohol use disorder and perioperative immune dysfunction

Alexandra Lau1, Vera von Dossow, Michael Sander

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine Unit, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-University Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Anesthesia and Analgesia
|February 20, 2009
PubMed

The anesthesiological sequelae of long-term alcohol abuse include a three to fivefold increased risk of postoperative infection, prolonged intensive care unit stays and longer hospital stays. The cause of the higher infection rates is an altered immune response in long-term alcoholic patients. Preoperatively, the T helper cells 1 to T helper cells 2 ratio is depressed in long-term alcoholic patients and remains suppressed after surgery. The lower preoperative T helper cells 1 to T helper cells 2 ratio is predictive of later onset of infections. Postoperatively, the cytotoxic lymphocyte (Tc1/Tc2) ratio is decreased in long-term alcoholic patients and remains depressed for 5 days. The interleukin (IL)-6/IL-10 ratio and the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated interferon gamma/IL-10 ratio in whole blood cells are decreased after surgery in long-term alcoholic patients. Depressed Tc1/Tc2, IL-6/IL-10 and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated interferon gamma/IL-10 ratios in the postoperative period are predictive of subsequent postoperative infections. Perioperative interventions should aim to minimize dysregulation of the immune system.

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