Focus on the Lung

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: David Quintero, Atlanta VA Medical Center; David Guidot, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: Us National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: All material appearing in this journal is in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Alcohol Research and Health
• ISSN: 1535-7414
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 219
• End Page: 228
• Grant/Funding Information: Dr. Quintero is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) grant T32–AA–013528; Dr. Guidot is funded by NIAAA grants P50–AA–013757 and R01–AA–11660, and by a Merit Review Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Keywords: lung function; Science & Technology; RESPIRATORY-DISTRESS-SYNDROME; Substance Abuse; human immunodeficiency virus-1; HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS; CHRONIC ETHANOL INGESTION; CHRONIC ALCOHOL-ABUSE; PULMONARY ARTERIAL-HYPERTENSION; pulmonary diseases; GLUTATHIONE HOMEOSTASIS; EPITHELIAL BARRIER FUNCTION; pneumonia; COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA; PROGNOSTIC-FACTORS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; lung; Alcohol abuse; HIV-INFECTION; chronic alcohol effect
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Immunology; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Both HIV-1 infection and chronic alcohol abuse adversely affect lung health. For example, through multiple mechanisms, chronic alcohol abuse increases one's susceptibility to pneumonia, particularly pneumonia caused by certain serious pathogens. Similarly, pneumonia caused by opportunistic pathogens is very common in HIV-infected patients, at least in part because HIV-1 attacks the immune cells of the lungs and interferes with their functions. Alcohol abuse also increases the risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome, a serious acute lung condition; however, the association of this syndrome with HIV-1 infection remains unclear. Chronic lung conditions potentially caused or exacerbated by chronic alcohol abuse include asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis, although the findings to date are equivocal. However, growing evidence indicates that HIV-1 infection increases the risk of chronic pulmonary diseases such as emphysema, lung cancer, and excessive blood pressure in the vessels supplying the lung (i.e., pulmonary hypertension). Both alcohol abuse and HIV infection can impair lung function through various mechanisms, including increasing oxidative stress and enhancing antioxidant deficits, preventing full activation of the lung's immune cells, and contributing to zinc deficiency. However, the interactions between alcohol abuse and HIV-1 infection in contributing to the range of lung disorders have not been studied in detail.