Lipopolysaccharide and imiquimod stimulation of potential immune biomarkers in whole blood predict alcohol use disorder risk based on <scp>AUDIT</scp> scores

LPS and IMQ stimulations unmasked immune response patterns that separated high- from low-risk individuals, with exaggerated pro-inflammatory responses in the high-risk group. IL-1β, IL-3, IL-18, and CCL11 repeatedly predicted AUDIT scores, with IL-1β and IL-3 LPS-dominant and CCL11 and IL-18 LPS/IMQ stimulus-shared. Stimulation-evoked mediator profiling may complement self-report screening and improve risk stratification in drinkers. Further studies are needed to address the exploratory nature of the results.