Aim: To analyze a relationship of the level of sex hormones to the tension of immunological processes in definite renal diseases in patients with chronic alcoholism.
Materials and methods: 43 patients with chronic alcoholism who also suffered from chronic renal disease were examined. The levels of plasma testosterone and estradiol were determined by radioimmunoassay using labeled 3H-hormones, as described by V. S. Goncharov and G. V. Katsiya. The immunity was assessed by determining the activity of secreted interleukin-1 in the cultured peripheral monocytes of the patients and in the cultured renal glomerular mesangial cells by radioimmunoassay according to the procedure of S. Mizel and O. V. Gabrilevskaya. The obtained renal biopsy specimens were examined by electron microscopy immunoassay, as described by A. A. Ivanov. The activity of lysosomal enzymes was studied.
Results: Activation of lysosomal enzymes and increased synthesis of interleukin-1 by monocytes and mesangial cells were observed in patients with chronic alcoholism and renal diseases with testosterone deficiency and excess estradiol in the plasma. There was a correlation of the level of estradiol with that of interleukin-1 and with the activity of cathepsin D.
Conclusion: With hypofunction of androgens, estrogens stipulate the tension of immune reactions, which finally leads to renal lesion in patients with chronic alcoholism.