Mechanisms of alcohol-induced suppression of B-cell response

Several investigators have shown that alcohol can suppress the production of antibodies by animals and humans. The studies reported here were designed to determine whether alcohol has a direct effect on the B-lymphocyte and to determine which stage of the B-cell response is inhibited by alcohol. B-lymphocyte lines specific for the antigen dinitrophenyl were used to study the effect of alcohol on the B-lymphocyte. As little as 100 mg% of alcohol inhibited the response of these pure B-cell lines to stimulation by either antigen (dinitrophenyl-Ficoll) or anti-mu antibody. Since no other cell types were present in the system the suppressive effect was on the B-cell itself. However, alcohol did not inhibit membrane depolarization induced by antigen crosslinking of immunoglobulin receptors, and it did not inhibit activation of the phosphatidyl inositol pathway by receptor crosslinking. When alcohol was added to antigen stimulated B-lymphocyte lines for varying periods during the immune response it was found that antibody production was inhibited if 150 mg% alcohol was present from 30 to 48 hr after the antigen was added to lymphocytes. Thirty-six to 48 hr is the time required for a stimulated mature B-lymphocyte to enter the proliferative phase of the immune response. These data raise the possibility that low doses of alcohol can inhibit antigen-induced B-cell proliferation.