First comparative results about the direct effect of traditional cigarette and e-cigarette smoking on lung alveolocapillary membrane using dynamic ventilation scintigraphy.

Introduction Dynamic inhalation scintigraphy (DIS) with technetium-99m-diethylenetriam ine-pentaacetate aerosol is a useful nuclear medicine procedure for staging and monitoring the damage of alveolocapillary membrane. The e-cigarette is a new popular smoking device producing vapor from the nicotine solution. Many studies have shown that e-cigarettes appear to be safer than smoking, but there are still debates to what extent e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking. In this prospective, self-controlled study, we compared DIS results among volunteers smoking an e-cigarette and their results after they returned to traditional cigarette smoking for a week. Participants and methods We included 24 healthy volunteers into this study who regularly used e-cigarette containing at least 10 mg nicotine/ml. We performed baseline DIS study in volunteers with e-cigarette smoking and then we asked them to return to traditional cigarette smoking for a week Conventional respiration tests were also measured. We statistically analyzed the effect of traditional cigarette on clinical parameters and pulmonary clearance of the radiopharmacon. Results There was no significant change in the parameters of peak expiratory flow rate and Tiffeneau-Pinelli respiration tests; forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s slightly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas the exhaled CO and COHb levels were significantly higher at traditional cigarette use (P < 0.0001), and increased in every case. The pulmonary clearance was significantly faster at traditional cigarette smoking compared with e-cigarette use (P < 0.0001). Conclusion On the basis of our results, we suppose that e-cigarette smoking is less harmful to the lung function than a traditional cigarette, and it can be recommended to heavy smokers who are unable to stop smoking. Copyright (C) 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.