Carvalho Bruna Fernandes do Carmo, Foiani Letícia, Zucco Gabriela, Faria Natália de Carvalho, Nepomuceno Gabrielle, Silva Kethilyn Chris Sousa, Borges Roger, Oliveira Alves Mônica Ghislaine, Pérez-Sayáns Mário, Martinho Herculano da Silva, Almeida Janete Dias
Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University, São José dos Campos 12209, São Paulo, Brazil.
Center of Natural and Human Sciences, Federal University of the ABC, Santo André 04829-310, São Paulo, Brazil.
ACS Omega. 2025 Mar 14;10(12):11911-11921. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c08648. eCollection 2025 Apr 1.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), initially introduced as smoking cessation aids, have given rise to a new wave of nicotine dependence. A critical question that has emerged is the potential adverse effects of e-cig use on oral health, particularly how the vapor emitted from these devices may alter the salivary composition of users. Here, we investigate the salivary composition of e-cig users and analyze the e-liquids (flavorings) using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Saliva samples were categorized into two groups: e-cigarette users (25 individuals) and nonsmokers/nonusers (25 individuals). Additionally, 26 e-liquid samples used by the e-cig users were collected, with 17 obtained before use and 9 after use. The analysis provided reliable results in distinguishing between the two groups. Notably, partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) demonstrated a high degree of accuracy (>90%) in differentiating the sample groups. Our findings revealed a higher concentration of polysaccharides, aromatic amino acids, and inorganic phosphates, along with a lower concentration of esterases in the saliva of e-cigarette users. These alterations in salivary composition may be linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, and tumor formation, having a negative impact on oral immunity. In contrast, no significant molecular or compositional changes were observed in the e-liquids after use. Our results underscore the importance of continued research into potential biomarkers and the long-term health effects associated with the growing prevalence of e-cigarette use as a form of nicotine consumption.
电子烟最初作为戒烟辅助工具推出，却引发了新一轮尼古丁依赖。一个关键问题出现了，即使用电子烟对口腔健康的潜在不良影响，尤其是这些设备所排放的蒸汽如何改变使用者的唾液成分。在此，我们调查了电子烟使用者的唾液成分，并使用傅里叶变换红外（FTIR）光谱法分析了电子烟烟液（调味剂）。唾液样本分为两组：电子烟使用者（25人）和非吸烟者/非使用者（25人）。此外，收集了电子烟使用者使用的26个电子烟烟液样本，其中17个在使用前获取，9个在使用后获取。分析在区分这两组方面提供了可靠结果。值得注意的是，偏最小二乘判别分析（PLS - DA）在区分样本组时显示出高度准确性（>90%）。我们的研究结果显示，电子烟使用者唾液中的多糖、芳香族氨基酸和无机磷酸盐浓度较高，而酯酶浓度较低。唾液成分的这些变化可能与2型糖尿病、高血压、心血管疾病、肾脏疾病和肿瘤形成风险增加有关，对口腔免疫力产生负面影响。相比之下，使用后的电子烟烟液未观察到明显的分子或成分变化。我们的结果强调了持续研究潜在生物标志物以及与电子烟作为尼古丁消费形式的日益普及相关的长期健康影响的重要性。
