Fetal Exposure to Ethanol Has Long-Term Effects on the Severity of Influenza Virus Infections

Abstract

Alcohol use by pregnant women is a significant public health issue despite well-described risks to the fetus including physical and intellectual growth retardation and malformations. Although clinical studies are limited, they suggest that in utero alcohol exposure also results in significant immune deficiencies in naive neonates. However, little is known about fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) effects on adult infections. Therefore, to determine the long-term effects of FAE on disease susceptibility and the adult immune system, we infected FAE adult mice with influenza virus. In this study, we demonstrate that mice exposed to ethanol during gestation and nursing exhibit enhanced disease severity as well as increased and sustained pulmonary viral titers following influenza virus infection. Secondary exposure to alcohol as an adult further exacerbates these effects. Moreover, we demonstrate that FAE mice have impaired adaptive immune responses, including decreased numbers of virus-specific pulmonary CD8 T cells, a decreased size and frequency of pulmonary B cell foci, and reduced production of influenza-specific Ab following influenza infection. Together, our results suggest that FAE induces significant and long-term defects in immunity and susceptibility to influenza virus infection and that FAE individuals could be at increased risk for severe and fatal respiratory infections.

Molecular Changes during Neurodevelopment following Second-Trimester Binge Ethanol Exposure in a Mouse Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: From Immediate Effects to Long-Term Adaptation

“…CCL3 is essential for the recruitment of dendritic cells to sites of microbial infection [67]. Its alteration may account for immune deficiencies, including impaired adaptive immune responses to viral infection, in neonates and adults with FASD [68,69]. Hubs in the short-term network including TNF and NFkB act on the upregulated factor, CCL3 (fig.…”

Mechanisms of Immune Status Disorders in Chronic Ethanol Intoxication

“…Ethanol effect on the immunity system is poorly studied [9,[13][14][15]. The knowledge of the immunopathogenesis of ethanol effects in CEI is essential for effective drug correction of the immune status in order to prevent infectious complications and diseases [2,11].…”

Ethanol exposure leads to disorder of blood island formation in early chick embryo

“…Excess alcohol consumption during pregnancy is now a major public concern since ethanol exposure in pregnant women can increase the risk of congenital malformations [1][2][3]. These congenital malformations include fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), characterized by cardiac defects, fetal growth restriction, neurodevelopmental delays, and craniofacial malformation [4,5].…”