PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sofia Vakali
AU  - Stamatoula Tsikrika
AU  - Sofianna Antiopi Gennimata
AU  - George Kaltsakas
AU  - Anastasios Palamidaw
AU  - Nikolaos Koulouris
AU  - Christina Gratziou
TI  - E-cigarette acute effect on symptoms and airways inflammation: Comparison of a nicotine containing with a non-nicotine device
DP  - 2013 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P1055
VI  - 42
IP  - Suppl 57
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P1055.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P1055.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2013 Sep 01; 42
AB  - Despite the increasing advertising of e-cigarettes as safe smoking tool, there is much debate regarding its safety.This study was undertaken to assess the effect of a single e-cigarette use on clinical symptoms, vital signs and airway inflammatory markers after inhaling either 0mg or 11mg of nicotine.We studied 53 subjects (10 men) divided in 2 groups. Group A: 10 never smokers and 24 healthy smokers smoked for 10 min a single e-cigarette containing 11mg of nicotine and Group B: 11 never smokers and 9 healthy smokers smoked an e-cigarette containing 0mg of nicotine. The same brand of e-cig was used in both groups with similar liquid ingredients but with different nicotine concentrations. Vital signs, symptoms, Oxygen Saturation, heart rate and indices of airway inflammation(exhaled CO, exhaled NO, airways temperature) were assessed pre and post smoking.All subjects reported symptoms immediately after smoking, but the respiratory (sore throat, cough) and the cardiovascular symptoms (palpitations) were reported more often in Group A compared with Group B, whereas dizziness, was more frequently reported from non smokers of Group B. An increase in HR was noted in all subjects of Group A, findings that were not recorded in group B. A decrease in FeNO was detected in smokers (p= 0,028) and in non-smokers (p= 0,047) of Group B, with an increase in airways temperature (p=0.037) in smokers of Group A. An increase in exhaled CO was detected in all subjects.Increased heart rate and palpitations are related to the use of a nicotine containing e-cig but airways symptoms (sore throat, cough) and inflammatory markers are independent of nicotine use.