Martin Elizabeth M, Clapp Phillip W, Rebuli Meghan E, Pawlak Erica A, Glista-Baker Ellen, Benowitz Neal L, Fry Rebecca C, Jaspers Ilona
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina;
Curriculum in Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina;
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2016 Jul 1;311(1):L135-44. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00170.2016. Epub 2016 Jun 10.
Exposure to cigarette smoke is known to result in impaired host defense responses and immune suppressive effects. However, the effects of new and emerging tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, on the immune status of the respiratory epithelium are largely unknown. We conducted a clinical study collecting superficial nasal scrape biopsies, nasal lavage, urine, and serum from nonsmokers, cigarette smokers, and e-cigarette users and assessed them for changes in immune gene expression profiles. Smoking status was determined based on a smoking history and a 3- to 4-wk smoking diary and confirmed using serum cotinine and urine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) levels. Total RNA from nasal scrape biopsies was analyzed using the nCounter Human Immunology v2 Expression panel. Smoking cigarettes or vaping e-cigarettes resulted in decreased expression of immune-related genes. All genes with decreased expression in cigarette smokers (n = 53) were also decreased in e-cigarette smokers. Additionally, vaping e-cigarettes was associated with suppression of a large number of unique genes (n = 305). Furthermore, the e-cigarette users showed a greater suppression of genes common with those changed in cigarette smokers. This was particularly apparent for suppressed expression of transcription factors, such as EGR1, which was functionally associated with decreased expression of 5 target genes in cigarette smokers and 18 target genes in e-cigarette users. Taken together, these data indicate that vaping e-cigarettes is associated with decreased expression of a large number of immune-related genes, which are consistent with immune suppression at the level of the nasal mucosa.
众所周知，接触香烟烟雾会导致宿主防御反应受损和免疫抑制作用。然而，新型烟草产品，如电子烟，对呼吸道上皮免疫状态的影响在很大程度上尚不清楚。我们开展了一项临床研究，收集了非吸烟者、吸烟者和电子烟使用者的鼻浅刮活检组织、鼻腔灌洗液、尿液和血清，并评估了它们免疫基因表达谱的变化。根据吸烟史和3至4周的吸烟日记确定吸烟状态，并通过血清可替宁和尿液4-(甲基亚硝胺基)-1-(3-吡啶基)-1-丁醇(NNAL)水平进行确认。使用nCounter人类免疫学v2表达面板分析鼻刮活检组织的总RNA。吸烟或吸电子烟会导致免疫相关基因表达下降。吸烟者（n = 53）中所有表达下降的基因在吸电子烟者中也下降。此外，吸电子烟与大量独特基因（n = 305）的抑制有关。此外，电子烟使用者对与吸烟者中变化的基因共有的基因表现出更大的抑制作用。这在转录因子如EGR1的表达受抑制方面尤为明显，EGR1在功能上与吸烟者中5个靶基因和电子烟使用者中18个靶基因的表达下降有关。综上所述，这些数据表明吸电子烟与大量免疫相关基因的表达下降有关，这与鼻黏膜水平的免疫抑制一致。
