Effects of E-Cigarette Aerosol on Innate Lung Host Defense

While e-cigs are commonly represented as safer alternatives to tobacco cigarettes, little is known regarding the health effects of their short- or long-term use. The responses and the e-cig components exerting these effects on the airways are largely unknown. This study will identify if specific e-cig flavors modify respiratory immune responses. This study will determine the effects of cinnamaldehyde (CA)-containing e-cigarettes on airway epithelial cell ciliary function (i.e., MCC) in humans. Additionally the study will determine the effects of CA-containing e-cigarettes on airway immune cells obtained through induced sputum (SI) after inhalation of CA-containing e-cig aerosols to determine CA-induced effects on a) immune cell function (e.g., phagocytosis, respiratory burst), b) immune cell surface phenotype, and c) mediator production in humans in vivo.