Regulation of peritoneal and systemic neutrophil-derived tumor necrosis factor-alpha release in patients with severe peritonitis: role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme cleavage.

Objective: Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) influx and peritoneal tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha production are key host defense mechanisms during peritonitis. The aim of this study was to explore the potential interactions between TNF-alpha production and TNF-alpha converting enzyme (TACE) expression by PMN in the blood and peritoneum of patients with severe peritonitis.

Design: A prospective study.

Ethanol-induced inhibition of cytokine release and protein degranulation in human neutrophils.

Ethanol impairs immune responses in humans and animal models, in vivo and in vitro. In particular, ethanol inhibits some key functions of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). We investigated the impact of ethanol on cytokine production by highly purified PMN.