Humoral immune response to acetaldehyde adducts in alcoholic patients
Hoerner, M.; Behrens, U.J.; Worner, T.; Lieber, C.S.
Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology 54(1): 3-12
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-5164 PMID: 3099350 Document Number: 281091
Sera of alcoholic patients were found to contain antibodies to acetaldehyde adducts as determined by immunodiffusion. Differences in antibody levels were determined by hemagglutination with acetaldehyde adduct-conjugated red blood cells. Anti-acetaldehyde adduct immunoglobulin titers in 21 healthy, non-drinking individuals ranged from 10-80, whereas 25 of 34 alcoholics had titers of 160 or above (P less than 0.001). Rabbit-polyclonal and mouse-monoclonal antibodies against acetaldehyde adducts did not agglutinate red blood cells of alcoholic patients, indicating that no detectable acetaldehyde-altered epitopes are present on erythrocyte membranes. These results suggest that acetaldehyde-induced immunogenic determinants can initiate a humoral immune response which may differentiate alcoholics from non-alcoholics.