Interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor in obese alcoholics compared with normal-weight patients

Abstract

We performed a liver biopsy and measured plasma concentrations of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated in vitro monocyte production of IL-1β and TNF-α in 19 obese and 17 age-matched, normal-weight alcoholics admitted for treatment of their alcoholism. Nine healthy normal-weight subjects acted as control subjects. Five obese and no normal-weight alcoholics had cirrhosis in their liver biopsy (Fisher's exact test: P = 0.031). A histologic score (derived from the sum of fat, necrosis, fibrosis, and inflammation in the biopsy) correlated with body mass index and the percentage body fat, calculated by using the sum of four skinfold-thickness measures. Plasma concentrations and spontaneous in vitro monocyte production of IL-1β and TNF-α were below detection limits. No significant differences were observed between normal-weight and obese alcoholics with or without cirrhosis and normal control subjects in lipopolysacchari