As of: February 26, 2024, 7:11 p.m
By: Fabian Hartmann
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Smoking has a negative, lasting effect on the immune system.
It is on a par with factors such as genetic disposition and age.
Frankfurt – Smoking is harmful to your health, this has been known for a long time.
Not only does it have negative consequences for the lungs and respiratory tract, but it also damages the brain.
What is newer, however, is the realization that smoking also has a long-term negative effect on the immune system - and this may even occur several years after smokers have given up their habit.
At least this is what a new long-term study by an international research team recently
published in the journal
Nature suggests.
As a result, smoking cigarettes has a similarly strong effect on the human body's immune system as age and genes.
Smoking damages the immune system: Researchers are focusing on so-called cytokines in a study
As part of the long-term study, which was led by the French Institut Pasteur, an international research team examined the effects of 136 environmental factors on immune reactions in a total of 1,000 healthy adult volunteers.
The factors examined primarily concerned sociodemographic aspects, dietary habits and the lifestyle of the test subjects.
In their investigations, the researchers particularly focused on the release of so-called cytokines.
These coordinating messenger substances are released when the immune system reacts when pathogens enter the human body.
Because cytokines activate certain immune cells, they also have effects on inflammatory processes, the proliferation of bacteria and the development of cancer.
Cytokines include interferons and interleukins.
Research group finds in study: Smoking has the greatest influence on the immune system
The scientists analyzed the production of 13 cytokines in blood samples that were exposed to a total of twelve different immune stimuli.
Through these stimulations, the researchers triggered reactions in both parts of the immune system.
The human immune system consists, on the one hand, of an innate and more general reacting part, and on the other hand of an acquired part, which is based on changeable influences such as diseases and vaccinations and therefore reacts more pathogen-specifically.
Based on this, the research team was able to identify the specific immune reaction that occurred as a result.
Of all the factors examined, smoking had the greatest influence on the immune system.
And the more cigarettes the subjects smoked per day, the more clearly the longer and the more cigarettes they smoked per day, as study leader Darragh Duffy
explained to the
Tagesspiegel in a press interview.
However, the effects of smoking on the innate part of the immune system were temporary and disappeared as soon as smoking was stopped.
They manifested themselves primarily in the form of various inflammatory reactions.
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Smoking has a greater effect on the acquired immune system than on the innate one
However, smoking tobacco products had a significantly greater effect on the acquired portion of the immune response: According to the researchers, it significantly changed the number of cytokines that are released by the immune system as a result of infections.
And especially in the long term.
The research group assumes that these effects will persist years after you stop smoking.
Violaine Saint-André, who was also involved in the study, is investigating what this is connected to.
According to her, the long-term effects of smoking on T cells are due to changes in DNA methylation.
These are chemical markers on the genetic material that influence the activity of genes.
“There is more methylation in current and former smokers than in people who have never smoked.
The effect increases with the years and the number of cigarettes,” says the study author.
Conversely, this also means: smoking less helps.
Incidentally, the methylations persist for years, even if you stop smoking.
In this respect, people who have smoked for years or have smoked for years are always advised to be careful and to have their health checked regularly.
Researchers warn: “The best time to stop smoking is now”
Researchers understand the various aspects of smoking better and better, but the recommendations do not change.
“It is never good to start smoking.
And the best time to stop smoking is right now,” recommends researcher Darragh Duffy, who was involved in the study.
Smoking cigarette over an ashtray © IMAGO/Burkhard Schubert
And the first author, Violaine Saint-André, also addressed young people with words of warning during a press conference: “Never start smoking,” she emphasized.
But this is certainly not only beneficial for your health.
Smokers could also benefit financially from quitting, as taxes on tobacco products were raised again at the beginning of the year.
(Fabian Hartmann)