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Current E-Cigarette Research in the Context of Asthma

  • Allergies and the Environment (T Moran, Section Editor)
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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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Curriculum in Toxicology & Environmental Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Elise Hickman & Ilona Jaspers

  2. Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Elise Hickman & Ilona Jaspers

  3. Department of Pediatrics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Ilona Jaspers

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  1. Elise Hickman
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Hickman, E., Jaspers, I. Current E-Cigarette Research in the Context of Asthma. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 20, 62 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-020-00952-2

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