Normalization of immune response and phosphoinositide fatty acid composition of peripheral blood lymphocytes in an alcoholic patient after alcohol abstinence.

ABSTRACT

After 10 months of alcohol abstinence a malnourished alcoholic patient improved his nutritional status. The analysis of peripheral blood lymphocyte response to mitogenic stimulation with the antibody anti-CD3 and of the fatty acid composition of the (poly)-phosphoinositide fraction derived from lymphocytes revealed 1) a similar [3H]-thymidine uptake as in control (non-drinker) subjects; 2) a similar relative molar content of the main fatty acids in the (poly)-phosphoinositides as in control subjects. Alcohol abstinence can normalize both the parameters, which are greatly altered during alcohol abuse. This suggests a link between nutritional status and lymphocyte responsiveness via phosphoinositide fatty acid composition.