PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Reagan R. Wetherill
AU  - Robert K. Doot
AU  - Anthony J. Young
AU  - Hsiaoju Lee
AU  - Erin K. Schubert
AU  - Corinde E. Wiers
AU  - Frank T. Leone
AU  - Robert H. Mach
AU  - Henry R. Kranzler
AU  - Jacob G. Dubroff
TI  - Molecular imaging of pulmonary inflammation in electronic and combustible cigarette users: a pilot study
AID  - 10.2967/jnumed.122.264529
DP  - 2023 Jan 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine
PG  - jnumed.122.264529
4099  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2023/01/19/jnumed.122.264529.short
4100  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2023/01/19/jnumed.122.264529.full
AB  - Electronic cigarette (EC) use has increased dramatically, particularly among adolescents and young adults, which, like cigarette use, can cause pulmonary inflammation and increase the risk of lung disease. Methods: This preliminary study used positron emission tomography with 18F-6-(1/2)(2-fluoro-propyl)-4-methylpyridin-2-amine (18F-NOS) to quantify inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression to characterize oxidative stress and inflammation in the lungs in vivo in three age- and sex-matched groups: (1) 5 EC users, (2) 5 cigarette smokers, and (3) 5 never smoke/vape controls. Results: EC users showed greater 18F-NOS non-displaceable binding potential (BPND) than cigarette smokers (P = 0.03) and never smoke/vape controls (P = 0.01); whereas BPND in cigarette smokers did not differ from controls (p> 0.1). 18F-NOS lung tissue delivery and iNOS distribution volume did not significantly differ between groups. Although there were no group differences in peripheral inflammatory biomarker concentrations, 18F-NOS BPND correlated with the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations (rs= 0.87, P = 0.05) in EC users. Additionally, when EC users and cigarette smokers were pooled together, vaping episodes/cigarettes per day correlated with interleukin-6 levels (rs= 0.86, P = 0.006). Conclusion: This is the first PET imaging study to compare lung inflammation between EC and cigarette users in vivo. We found preliminary evidence EC users had greater pulmonary inflammation than cigarette smokers and never smoke/vape controls, with a positive association between pulmonary and peripheral measures of inflammation.