Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Influenza Virus/Host Interplay

Trends in excess winter mortality (EWM) were investigated from the winter of 1900/01 to 2019/20. During the 1918–1919 Spanish flu epidemic a maximum EWM of 100% was observed in both Denmark and the USA, and 131% in Sweden. During the Spanish flu epidemic in the USA 70% of excess winter deaths were coded to influenza. EWM steadily declined from the Spanish flu peak to a minimum around the 1960s to 1980s. This decline was accompanied by a shift in deaths away from the winter and spring, and the EWM calculation shifted from a maximum around April to June in the early 1900s to around March since the late 1960s. EWM has a good correlation with the number of estimated influenza deaths, but in this context influenza pandemics after the Spanish flu only had an EWM equivalent to that for seasonal influenza. This was confirmed for a large sample of world countries for the three pandemics occurring after 1960. Using data from 1980 onward the effect of influenza vaccination on EWM were examined using a large international dataset. No effect of increasing influenza vaccination could be discerned; however, there are multiple competing forces influencing EWM which will obscure any underlying trend, e.g., increasing age at death, multimorbidity, dementia, polypharmacy, diabetes, and obesity—all of which either interfere with vaccine effectiveness or are risk factors for influenza death. After adjusting the trend in EWM in the USA influenza vaccination can be seen to be masking higher winter deaths among a high morbidity US population. Adjusting for the effect of increasing obesity counteracted some of the observed increase in EWM seen in the USA. Winter deaths are clearly the outcome of a complex system of competing long-term trends.

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“…Reduced smoking prevalence-smoking leads to inflammation and is a risk factor in influenza mortality [105][106][107].…”

Section: Factors Increasing Ewm With Time Factors Reducing Ewm With Timementioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in Excess Winter Mortality (EWM) from 1900/01 to 2019/20—Evidence for a Complex System of Multiple Long-Term Trends

Jones¹,

Ponomarenko

2022

IJERPH

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“…As such, it’s possible the water insoluble particles or the combination with soluble components are necessary to induce weight loss. For CSE exposure length, previous studies have shown that there is a difference in pro-inflammatory cytokine response profiles depending on CS exposure of less than or greater than 2 weeks ( 66 ). It is possible that CSE exposure more than 2 weeks could have yielded a more significant effect on morbidity and mortality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling the effects of cigarette smoke extract on influenza B virus infections in mice

et al. 2023

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Influenza B virus (IBV) is a major respiratory viral pathogen. Due to a lack of pandemic potential for IBV, there is a lag in research on IBV pathology and immunological responses compared to IAV. Therefore, the impact of various lifestyle and environmental factors on IBV infections, such as cigarette smoking (CS), remains elusive. Despite the increased risk and severity of IAV infections with CS, limited information exists on the impact of CS on IBV infections due to the absence of suitable animal models. To this end, we developed an animal model system by pre-treating mice for two weeks with cigarette smoke extract (CSE), then infected them with IBV and monitored the resulting pathological, immunological, and virological effects. Our results reveal that the CSE treatment decreased IBV specific IgG levels yet did not change viral replication in the upper airway/the lung, and weight recovery post infection. However, higher concentrations of CSE did result in higher mortality post infection. Together, this suggests that CS induced inflammation coupled with IBV infection resulted in exacerbated disease outcome.

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“…Respiratory infections cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, both in the form of primary infections (e.g., pneumonia) as well as exacerbations (worsening of symptoms) of chronic lung conditions such as COPD [163]. Cigarette smoke is well described to be a key risk factor for numerous infectious diseases, including latent and active tuberculous [164] as well as increased risk of severe influenza [165][166][167][168]. Evidence that cannabis smoke alters susceptibility to respiratory infection is lacking but its overall effect on immune function as noted above suggests the cannabis smoking may predispose susceptible individuals to pulmonary infections, including those that are immune compromised by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or cancer chemotherapy [133,169].…”

Section: Respiratory Infectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of pulmonary immune function by inhaled cannabis products and consequences for lung disease

et al. 2023

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The lungs, in addition to participating in gas exchange, represent the first line of defense against inhaled pathogens and respiratory toxicants. Cells lining the airways and alveoli include epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages, the latter being resident innate immune cells important in surfactant recycling, protection against bacterial invasion and modulation of lung immune homeostasis. Environmental exposure to toxicants found in cigarette smoke, air pollution and cannabis can alter the number and function of immune cells in the lungs. Cannabis (marijuana) is a plant-derived product that is typically inhaled in the form of smoke from a joint. However, alternative delivery methods such as vaping, which heats the plant without combustion, are becoming more common. Cannabis use has increased in recent years, coinciding with more countries legalizing cannabis for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Cannabis may have numerous health benefits owing to the presence of cannabinoids that dampen immune function and therefore tame inflammation that is associated with chronic diseases such as arthritis. The health effects that could come with cannabis use remain poorly understood, particularly inhaled cannabis products that may directly impact the pulmonary immune system. Herein, we first describe the bioactive phytochemicals present in cannabis, with an emphasis on cannabinoids and their ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system. We also review the current state-of-knowledge as to how inhaled cannabis/cannabinoids can shape immune response in the lungs and discuss the potential consequences of altered pulmonary immunity. Overall, more research is needed to understand how cannabis inhalation shapes the pulmonary immune response to balance physiological and beneficial responses with potential deleterious consequences on the lungs.

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Effects of Cigarette Smoking on Influenza Virus/Host Interplay

Cited by 15 publications

References 99 publications

Trends in Excess Winter Mortality (EWM) from 1900/01 to 2019/20—Evidence for a Complex System of Multiple Long-Term Trends

Trends in Excess Winter Mortality (EWM) from 1900/01 to 2019/20—Evidence for a Complex System of Multiple Long-Term Trends

Modeling the effects of cigarette smoke extract on influenza B virus infections in mice

Modulation of pulmonary immune function by inhaled cannabis products and consequences for lung disease

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