Introduction Since their invention 14 years ago, by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, the electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) has known increasing success, experiencing a particular surge in popularity post 2010. Their usage has allowed for reduced tobacco consumption which can be attributed to a reduction in health concerns such as Crohn's Disease. However, it is important to clarify whether or not the e-cigarette may also present a number of health risks. Previous work carried out by our team, examining the effect of exposure to cigarette smoke on immune cells taken from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), confirmed the dual effect on IBD inflammatory response after tobacco exposure [1]. In this context, examining the toxicity of products present in the smoke from traditional cigarettes versus e-cigarettes, presented an interesting topic. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of the e-cigarette with that of tobacco on inflammatory response in an epithelial intestinal cell culture model. Materials and Methods The intestinal inflammatory response was evaluated using a human intestinal epithelial cell line model (HT29), transfected with bacterial LPS receptor, MD-2. This model presents an exaggerated inflammatory response to LPS, a characteristic which presented in Crohn's disease. Release of interleukin (IL)-8, a marker of inflammation, was measured by ELISA for control cells or those stimulated by LPS and after exposure to either traditional or e-cigarettes smoke extracted in parallel using a machine which mimics the act of smoking. The concentration of nicotine was equivalent in both extracts (traditional and e-cigarette). Controls were performed in the presence of smoke containing only the e-cigarette solvent, propylene glycol. Toxicity was evaluated by tetrazolium salt MTT toxicity test. Results Inflammatory response was greatly elevated in cells exposed to traditional cigarette (tc) smoke, as measured by IL-8 release (pg/mg protein). In contrast, cells exposed to e-cigarette smoke (ec) showed inflammatory response comparable to control cells (sol) and significantly lower than those treated with traditional cigarette (tc) smoke extracts. IL-8 release (pg/mg protein) was observed as follows: for non-LPS stimulated (control) cells; 79.6±10.1 (controls) vs 175.2±16.6 (tc) and 68.6±4 (ec) vs 77.7±10.7 (sol) and for cells treated with 10 μg/ml LPS; 1507.8 ±228.6 (controls) vs 2684.7±632.1 (tc) and 1287,5±235 (ec) vs 1570,9±224,8 (sol). Conclusion Our results suggest that the intestinal epithelium inflammatory response is not altered by exposure to smoke from e-cigarettes. Further research into the consequences of e-cigarettes on immune cells will aid to complement these encouraging results and serve to refine our current knowledge on the dual effect of tobacco in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.