A recent study published in the "Magazine of Nuclear Medicine" found that compared with smokers and non -smokers, lung inflammation experienced by people using electronic cigarettes or electronic cigarettes is more serious. This is the first study to prove the use of electronic cigarettes to absorb electronic liquids that cause unique inflammatory response to the lungs, and the reaction is different from the response when smoking.

In recent years, the use of electronic cigarettes has increased significantly, especially among young adults and teenagers. Although people generally believe that electronic cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes, they have found that they can cause lung inflammation and increase the possibility of lung disease. In addition, their long -term security has not been thoroughly evaluated, so that many questions about their impact on health have not been answered.

This is the first PET study using new radioactive tracking agent 18F-NOS to compare the lung inflammation of cigarettes and electronic cigarette users in the body. Although the 18F-FDG PET imaging was used to investigate the inflammation of the smokers and smokers, the conclusion was limited.

The main author of the study, Dr. Reagan Wetherill, a teacher at the University of Pennsylvania at the University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, said: "INOS is an enzyme that is excessively expressed among electronic cigarette users and cigarettes, which is related to acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. This makes it the relevant goal of the molecular imaging of the lung inflammation and inflammatory lung disease. "

Summary of pilot research and preliminary PET imaging results. Source: R Wetherill, Department of Psychiatry, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Medical College, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Research participants are divided into three ages and gender matching groups: five electronic cigarette users, five traditional cigarette smokers, and five control groups that never smoke/absorb. 18F-NOS PET is used to quantify and compare lung inflammation.

The lung inflammation of the electronic cigarette users is severe than the cigarette smoker and the control group that has never smoked/sucking. It also found the positive correlation between the lung and peripheral inflammation measurement, indicating that the use of electronic cigarettes may increase lung inflammation.

"With these discoveries with additional evidence of the potential harmful effect on the use of electronic cigarettes on the lungs," said Wetherill. "Our work has promoted the current known impact on the use of electronic cigarettes on the health of the respiratory system, and allows people to better understand the harm and reduction of electronic cigarettes for smoking."

Dr. Jacob Dubroff, a senior author and a faculty member of the Perrelman School of Medicine, believes that using molecular imaging to understand the effect of electronic cigarettes is increasing. He pointed out: "These discoveries show that molecular imaging may be the only condition for detecting and measurement of potential pathological hazards related to electronic cigarettes. Compared with traditional flammable cigarettes, electronic cigarettes are touted as safer nicotine carriers."