Flavor Preference and Systemic Immunoglobulin Responses in E-Cigarette Users and Waterpipe and Tobacco Smokers: A Pilot Study

Monica Jackson, Kameshwar P. Singh, Thomas Lamb, Scott McIntosh and Irfan Rahman
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Monica Jackson: Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
Kameshwar P. Singh: Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
Thomas Lamb: Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
Scott McIntosh: Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
Irfan Rahman: Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-9

Abstract: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has had an exponential increase in popularity since the product was released to the public. Currently, there is a lack of human studies that assess different biomarker levels. This pilot study attempts to link e-cigarette and other tobacco product usage with clinical respiratory symptoms and immunoglobulin response. Subjects completed surveys in order to collect self-reported data on tobacco product flavor preferences. Along with this, plasma samples were collected to test for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and E (IgE) levels. Our pilot study’s cohort had a 47.9% flavor preference towards fruit flavors and a 63.1% preference to more sweet flavors. E-cigarette and traditional cigarette smokers were the two subject groups to report the most clinical symptoms. E-cigarette users also had a significant increase in plasma IgE levels compared to non-tobacco users 1, and dual users had a significant increase in plasma IgG compared to non-tobacco users 2, cigarette smokers, and waterpipe smokers. Our pilot study showed that users have a preference toward fruit and more sweet flavors and that e-cigarette and dual use resulted in an augmented systemic immune response.

Keywords: e-cigarette; flavors; respiratory symptoms; immune response; biomarkers; motivation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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