Alcohol dependence promotes systemic IFN- and IL-17 responses in mice

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. AUD is associated with a variety of physiological changes and is a substantial risk factor for numerous diseases. We aimed to characterize systemic alterations in immune responses using a well-established mouse model of chronic intermittent alcohol exposure to induce alcohol dependence. We exposed mice to chronic intermittent ethanol vapor for 4 weeks and analyzed the expression of cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-17 by different immune cells in the blood, spleen and liver of alcohol dependent and non-dependent control mice through multiparametric flow cytometry. We found increases in IFN-gamma and IL-17 expression in a cell type- and organ-specific manner. Often, B cells and neutrophils were primary contributors to increased IFN-gamma and IL-17 levels while other cell types played a secondary role. We conclude that chronic alcohol exposure promotes systemic pro-inflammatory IFN-gamma and IL-17 responses in mice. These responses are likely important in the development of alcohol-related diseases, but further characterization is necessary to understand the initiation and effects of systemic inflammatory responses to chronic alcohol exposure.