Even brief e-cigarette use can cause lasting lung damage and weaken defenses against respiratory viruses, study suggests
Just days of e-cigarette vapor exposure can injure the lungs' most delicate tissue and leave it more vulnerable to viral infection, according to a study led by National Jewish Health researchers and published in JCI Insight.
A recent study conducted by researchers from National Jewish Health has found that even brief exposure to e-cigarette vapor can cause lasting damage to the lungs' most delicate tissue and weaken the body's defenses against respiratory viruses. The research, published in JCI Insight, examined human lung epithelial and endothelial cells, as well as precision-cut human lung tissue, all sourced from the distal lung region where oxygen enters the bloodstream.
When exposed to e-cigarette vapor alone or combined with a respiratory virus infection, the tissue experienced damage to its protective barrier, triggered cellular stress, impaired the cells' ability to clear damaged components, slowed cell growth and repair, and increased cell death. Notably, these effects persisted for up to 10 days after the initial five-day exposure period had ended.
The study also revealed that prior vaping exposure increased the viral burden of SARS-CoV-2 and suppressed several antiviral genes following infection, suggesting that some of the adverse effects of vaping may linger even after the exposure has ceased. The findings indicate that short-term vaping exposure can initiate injury in the deepest regions of the lung and alter the immune response to subsequent viral infections.
Further research is needed to confirm these results in human subjects, but the study provides insight into why vaping has been associated with lung injury and heightened susceptibility to respiratory infections.
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