Alcoholism and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are emerging as vital areas of research for the discovery of the mechanisms by which alcohol affects tissues across the body, including the brain, kidney, liver, intestine, and peripheral and central nervous system. This is also vital in identifying valuable therapies for the treatment of cellular damage caused by alcohol and helps us understand how alcohol causes an imbalance in the immune system in all organs.

Alcohol can cause dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, leading to a negative impact on the immune system and elevation of endotoxins as well as promoting inflammation. Chronic alcohol consumption can trigger inflammation throughout the body for increased periods of time due to gut inflammation. Understanding the role of the peripheral nervous system in prolonging the inflammation process following alcohol intake is key, as alcohol intake causes cellular damage in several ways such as hormonal imbalance, neurochemical alterations, and suppressing the production of neurotrophic factors. Based on the current literature, inflammation is the first step to indicate that there is something wrong in cellular homeostasis following acute or chronic alcohol intake. Inflammation, pain, and structural changes are external symptoms, but internally inflammation is mediated by various immune cells. These immune cells have a vital role in combating cellular damage, which is governed by two sides of the inflammatory process: pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory.

The aim of this Special Issue is to identify pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers in various organs, including the peripheral and central nervous system, in alcohol use disorders. Research addressing inflammatory markers in aspects related to alcohol, such as obesity, microbiome, neuroinflammation, gut imbalance, kidneys, and digestive tract, are most welcome. We encourage the submission of both human and animal studies. Of particular interest are studies presenting novel findings on the positive and negative roles of inflammatory mediators in alcoholism, as are papers determining crucial markers at cell and molecular levels in acute and chronic intake of alcohol. We welcome both original research and review articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Promotion of inflammation due to alcohol intake and high fat diet
• The impact of alcohol and inflammation on the intestinal microbiome
• Alcohol, neuroinflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases
• The role of inflammation in alcohol use disorder (AUD)
• Inflammation in foetal alcohol spectrum disorders
• Alcohol and gut-derived inflammation
• The impact of alcohol and inflammation on the reproductive system
• Alcohol-induced kidney injury and inflammation
• Inflammatory biomarkers in alcoholism
• The impact of alcohol use on inflammation in the digestive track
• Neuroinflammation and neuroadaptation in alcoholism.
• Impact of inflammation in birth defects related to alcohol
• Liver dysfunction caused by inflammation in acute and chronic alcohol drinkers