Increased Total Serum IgE in Alcoholics

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Abstract
Total serum IgE concentrations were measured in 106 male alcoholics with current alcohol abstinence of varying duration. The influence of smoking habits and clinical atopy on IgE levels was considered. The majority (91%) of the alcoholics were smokers and 26% suffered from possible clinical atopy. The geometric mean IgE in nonatopic, smoking alcoholics was 42 kU/l and significantly higher than the mean IgE level, 19 kU/l, in age-matched, smoking, nonatopic male participants in a general health survey (P < 0.001). The IgE levels declined with length of alcohol abstinence. Alcoholics, serially followed after a heavy drinking spree, showed a uniform pattern of declining IgE levels during a fortnight of abstinence (P < 0.001). No link was noted between total IgE levels and the extent of liver affection as estimated by various serum variables (bilirubin, aminotransferases, .gamma.-GT [.gamma.-glutamyltransferase], IgG, IgA and IgM) or galactose tolerance test. The increased IgE levels in alcoholics reflected an influence of ethanol on T lymphocytes regulating the IgE synthesis. Such a proposed effect of ethanol on cellular immunity may have contributed to certain organic alcohol diseases, but did not appear to influence the frequency of clinical atopy, being similar in the patient group and in the general population of the same geographic area.