Hickman Elise, Roca Cristian, Zorn Bryan T, Rebuli Meghan E, Robinette Carole, Wolfgang Matthew C, Jaspers Ilona
Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Curriculum in Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2024 Dec 23;27(1):114-124. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntae176.
Previous research suggests that e-cigarettes can alter immune function, including in the nasal mucosa, in unique ways. The respiratory microbiome plays a key role in respiratory host defense, but the effects of e-cigarettes on the respiratory or nasal microbiome, are not well understood.
Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on nasal samples from adult e-cigarette users, smokers, and nonsmokers, we determined that e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking are associated with differential respiratory microbiome dysbiosis and substantial sex-dependent differences in the nasal microbiome, particularly in e-cigarette users.
Staphylococcus aureus, a common respiratory pathogen, was more abundant in both e-cigarette users and smokers in comparison with nonsmokers, while Lactobacillus iners, often considered a protective species, was more abundant in smokers but less abundant in e-cigarette users in comparison with nonsmokers. In addition, we identified significant dysbiosis of the nasal microbiome between e-cigarette users and smokers with high versus low serum cotinine levels, an indicator of tobacco product use and toxicant exposure. We also analyzed nasal lavage fluid for immune mediators associated with host × microbiota interactions.
Our analysis identified disruption of immune mediators in the nose of e-cigarette users and smokers, which is indicative of disrupted respiratory mucosal immune responses. Taken together, our data identified unique, sex-dependent host immune dysfunction associated with e-cigarette use in the nasal mucosa. More broadly, our data highlight the need for continued inclusion and careful consideration of sex as an important variable in the context of toxicant exposures.
This is the first study investigating the effects of e-cigarette use and sex on the nasal microbiome, which is considered an important gatekeeper for protecting the lower respiratory tract from pathogens. We found significant sex, exposure group, and serum cotinine level-associated differences in the composition of the nasal microbiome, demonstrating the importance of considering sex in future nasal microbiome studies and warranting further investigation of the mechanisms by which e-cigarette use dysregulates nasal immune homeostasis.
先前的研究表明，电子烟能够以独特的方式改变免疫功能，包括鼻黏膜中的免疫功能。呼吸道微生物群在呼吸道宿主防御中起着关键作用，但电子烟对呼吸道或鼻腔微生物群的影响尚不清楚。
我们对成年电子烟使用者、吸烟者和非吸烟者的鼻腔样本进行16S rRNA基因测序，确定使用电子烟和吸烟与呼吸道微生物群失调以及鼻腔微生物群中显著的性别差异有关，尤其是在电子烟使用者中。
与非吸烟者相比，常见呼吸道病原体金黄色葡萄球菌在电子烟使用者和吸烟者中更为丰富，而通常被认为是一种保护性菌种的惰性乳杆菌在吸烟者中更为丰富，与非吸烟者相比，在电子烟使用者中则较少。此外，我们发现血清可替宁水平高与低的电子烟使用者和吸烟者之间，鼻腔微生物群存在显著失调，血清可替宁是烟草制品使用和接触毒物的一个指标。我们还分析了鼻腔灌洗液中与宿主×微生物群相互作用相关的免疫介质。
我们的分析发现电子烟使用者和吸烟者鼻腔中的免疫介质受到破坏，这表明呼吸道黏膜免疫反应受到干扰。综上所述，我们的数据确定了与鼻腔黏膜中使用电子烟相关的独特的、性别依赖性的宿主免疫功能障碍。更广泛地说，我们的数据强调了在毒物暴露背景下，继续将性别作为一个重要变量纳入研究并仔细考虑的必要性。
这是第一项研究电子烟使用和性别对鼻腔微生物群影响的研究，鼻腔微生物群被认为是保护下呼吸道免受病原体侵害的重要守门人。我们发现鼻腔微生物群的组成在性别、暴露组和血清可替宁水平方面存在显著差异，这表明在未来的鼻腔微生物群研究中考虑性别的重要性，并需要进一步研究电子烟使用失调鼻腔免疫稳态的机制。
