The effect of tobacco smoke ingredients on immunity with special reference to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Tobacco smoke consists of several thousand toxic and carcinogenic substances . Ingredients of tobacco smoke have numerous extremely harmful effects on human health and are related to the occurrence of various diseases such as respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer . The insreased incidence of these diseases in smokers is possibly caused by the effects of tobacco on the function disorder of the immune system. Whereas the acute effect of smoking on the function of the immune system is less known, chronic exposure to tobacco ingredients causes a decreased function of T-lymphocytes . Nowadays it is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) that smoking cessation is the single most effective and cost effective way to reduce exposure to COPD risk factors . Tobacco smoke might affect the function of the immune system . Numerous studies in vitro and in vivo have demonstrated so far that there is an immunosuppresive effect of tobacco smoke on T and B-lymphocytes 6, . During smoking, a smoker inhales both the smoke and the particles. Among the particles inhaled, a thousand of ingredients are taken in the most important of which are nicotine, various carcinogenes, metals and others. Nicotine is the main immunosuppressive ingredient of tobacco smoke . Numerous investigations have demonstrated that tar and nicotine have an extremely toxic effect on the immune system . The effect of tobacco smoke ingredients on immunity depends on the doses of substances, as well as on the duration of exposure. Investigations of effects of tobacco smoke on the function of the immune system