Abstract

Aims: Previous studies have indicated that heavy alcohol intake stimulates inflammation and impairs the body’s ability to regulate inflammation. The aim of this study was to compare changes in neutrophil calprotectin and a wide spectrum of other inflammatory mediators in response to heavy alcohol drinking.

Methods: Serum calprotectin (a marker of neutrophil activation), suPAR, CD163, and pro- (IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10, TGF-β) cytokines were measured from 61 alcohol-dependent subjects (46 men, 15 women, mean age 43.6 ± 11.0 years) at the time of admission for detoxification and after 8 ± 2 days of abstinence. These biomarkers were also measured from age- and sex-matched healthy controls representing abstainers or light drinkers. The clinical assessments included detailed clinical interviews on the amounts and patterns of alcohol consumption and assays for biomarkers of alcohol consumption (GGT, CDT, MCV, GGT-CDT) and liver function (AST, ALT).

Results: The subjects with alcohol use disorder showed significantly higher concentrations of serum calprotectin (p < 0.0005), suPAR (p < 0.01), CD163 (p < 0.01), IL-6 (p < 0.0005), IL-8 (p < 0.0005), TNF-α (p < 0.001), and IL-10 (p < 0.0005) than healthy controls. These inflammatory mediators, except for CD163, remained elevated after the 8 ± 2-day period of supervised abstinence, which resulted in significant decreases in the biomarkers of alcohol consumption and indices of liver status. The AUC (0.855) for serum calprotectin in differentiating between the heavy drinkers and healthy controls was equal or equivalent with those of the conventional biomarkers of alcohol consumption (GGT:0.835 or CDT:0.803).

Conclusions: The data indicate that neutrophil calprotectin is released in response to heavy alcohol intake in a sensitive manner and may be associated with perpetuation of inflammation in patients with alcohol use disorder. Serum calprotectin may also prove to be a useful biomarker for inflammatory activity in alcohol-consuming patients.