Effects of alcohol hangover on cytokine production in healthy subjects

Kim, Dai-Jin; Kim, Won; Yoon, Su-Jung; Choi, Bo-Moon; Kim, Jung-Soo; Go, Hyo Jin; Kim, Yong-Ku; Jeong, Jaeseung

doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2003.09.003

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Volume 31, Issue 3 , Pages 167-170, November 2003

Effects of alcohol hangover on cytokine production in healthy subjects

Dai-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701 South Korea
- Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs, 67 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Corresponding author and present address. Department of Psychiatry, Holy Family Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 2 Sosa-Dong, Buchon-City, Kunggi, 420-717 South Korea. Tel.: +82-32-340-2140; fax: +82-32-340-2670.
Won Kim
- Hyundai Mental Hospital, 10 GwanSung-Ri, SaengGuk-Myeon, EmSung-Gun, Chung-Buk, 369-841 South Korea
Su-Jung Yoon
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701 South Korea
Bo-Moon Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701 South Korea
Jung-Soo Kim
- Clinic Vie, Leeyooduk Boutique Building 4F, 100-4 ChungdamDong, KangnamKu, Seoul, 135-100 South Korea
Hyo Jin Go
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 137-701 South Korea
Yong-Ku Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Gogan-Dong 516, Ansan, Kyunggi-Do, 425-020 South Korea
Jaeseung Jeong
- National Creative Research Initiative Center for Neurodynamics and the Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701 South Korea

Received 18 April 2003; received in revised form 2 September 2003; accepted 13 September 2003.

Editor: T.R. Jerrells

Abstract

A hangover is the syndrome of physical and mental symptoms that occurs 8 to 16 h after alcohol consumption with a zero level of alcohol. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of the alcohol hangover on cytokine production in healthy subjects. The hangover state was defined as 13 h after drinking 1.5 g/kg of alcohol (blood alcohol level=0). A venous blood sample was taken from 20 healthy adult men before consumption of alcohol and during the hangover state. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated and stimulated with phytohemagglutinin. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the production of the following cytokines: interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). We found that the concentrations of IL-10, IL-12, and IFN-γ were significantly increased during the hangover state compared with the concentrations in normal conditions. These results support the suggestion that the dysregulated cytokine pathway (IL-10, IL-12, and IFN-γ) is associated with the symptoms of hangovers.