ArticleExperimental lung research
The inflammatory biomarker YKL-40 is elevated in the serum, but not the sputum, of E-cigarette users.
Article in Experimental lung research. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Chronic health effects associated with electronic cigarette use: A systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Predictors of e-cigarette usage among individuals with asthma and COPD.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Association Between E-cigarette Use and Asthma Exacerbations Using Nationally Representative Survey Data.Cureus · 2024Article
- Dual Exposure to E-Cigarette Vapour and Cigarette Smoke Results in Poorer Airway Cell, Monocyte, and Macrophage Function Than Single Exposure.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Transcriptomic responses in the blood and sputum of cigarette smokers compared to e-cigarette vapers.Respiratory research · 2023Article
- Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease: Moving Toward a Blood-Based Biomarkers Era.Clinical interventions in aging · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of adults between 18 and 55 years old. Inclusion criteria were: exclusive e-cigarette use or cigarette smoking for ≥ 1 year or no history of tobacco use. Participants with a history of pulmonary illness, atopy, medications (except birth control pills), marijuana, and illegal substance use were excluded. Custom Multiplex ELISA was used to measure YKL-40 and other biomarker levels in the serum and induced sputum of the participants. Multivariable linear regression was used to compare the levels of YLK-40 in healthy participants, e-cigarette, and cigarette users after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI.
resultsWe recruited 20 healthy controls, 23 cigarette smokers, and 22 exclusive e-cigarette users. Serum YKL-40 (ng/ml) was significantly higher in e-cigarette users (Median 21.2 [IQR 12.1-24.0] ng/ml) when compared to controls (12.2 [IQR 8.7-18.1] ng/ml, p = 0.016) but comparable to cigarette smokers (21.6 [IQR 11.62-51.7] ng/ml, p = 0.31). No significant differences were found in the serum or sputum of the other biomarkers tested.
conclusionThe inflammatory biomarker, YKL-40 is elevated in the serum but not the sputum of e-cigarette users with no reported pulmonary disease. Further research is necessary to characterize this association.
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