Negative Impact of E-cigarette Addiction on Immune System

A recent report from the medical journal Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) suggests that researchers from Birmingham University in the UK have determined that e-cigarette addiction can have negative effects on the immune system.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have found that the aerosol from e-cigarettes decreases the activity of immune cells involved in infection resistance, based on their study of blood samples taken from volunteers who had never used conventional cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

A research team conducted a study by exposing immune cells extracted from volunteers' blood to the vapor from e-cigarette liquids, in an attempt to simulate the conditions of regular e-cigarette inhalation by humans. Half of the participants were exposed to the vapor containing nicotine e-liquid, while the other half were exposed to the vapor containing nicotine-free e-liquid.

Although all immune cells have survived, their vitality has significantly declined. Researchers have discovered that this reduced vitality is due to an increase in levels of F-proteins within the cells, responsible for altering the shape of immune cells. By changing shape, these immune cells are unable to move effectively, thus compromising their protective functions. Furthermore, the study also revealed that even nicotine-free e-liquid generates the same effects on immune cells.

Previous studies have confirmed that e-cigarettes have negative effects on lung and heart function.