Published in:
01-10-2020 | Bronchial Asthma | Allergies and the Environment (T Moran, Section Editor)
Current E-Cigarette Research in the Context of Asthma
Authors:
Elise Hickman, Ilona Jaspers
Published in:
Current Allergy and Asthma Reports
|
Issue 10/2020
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Abstract
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to integrate recent research on the respiratory immune effects of e-cigarettes with the pathogenesis of asthma to better understand how e-cigarettes may affect asthmatics and to note critical knowledge gaps regarding the effects of e-cigarettes on asthmatics.
Recent Findings
Human, rodent, and cell culture studies show that key cellular functions of epithelial cells, macrophages, and neutrophils are altered by e-cigarette exposure.
Summary
Because respiratory immunity is already dysregulated in asthma, further alteration of cellular function by e-cigarettes could impact asthma development, severity, and/or exacerbations. Future research is needed to more directly investigate this relationship using controlled human exposure studies and exposure of cell culture or animal models of asthma to e-cigarettes.