Blood Cytokine Levels in Patients with Alcohol Dependence during Early Withdrawal Treatment

Abstract

Objectives: Alcohol is known to modulate the immune system, which is associated with the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence (AD). Interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are widely studied immune molecules in neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, we intended to investigate the differences of blood levels of cytokines between patients with AD during early withdrawal and healthy control (HC). Methods: In this study, we included 85 patients diagnosed with AD according to the DSM-IV criteria and 49 HC participants. Blood samples were collected from the AD group and HC group on the first and seventh days of withdrawal. Blood levels of IL-6, sIL-6R, and TNF-α were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The baseline blood TNF-α levels in the AD group were significantly higher than those in the HC group (3.0 ± 1.6 pg/mL vs. 1.5 ± 0.9 pg/mL, p < 0.001), while blood sIL-6R levels were significantly lower (153.0 ± 37.0 pg/mL vs. 171.4 ± 39.6 pg/mL, p < 0.01). The baseline blood IL-6 and TNF-α levels were correlated with alcohol consumption amount and duration of AD. After one week of alcohol withdrawal, the blood TNF-α level of the AD group was still higher than that of the control group, whereas the blood IL-6 and IL-6R were normalized. Conclusion: Our findings suggest blood cytokines are dysregulated in patients with AD.