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JACI Highlights - May 2008
Effects of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on pulmonary immune response in infant monkeys
Lei Wang, MD, PhD, Jesse P Joad, MD, Caiyun Zhong, MD, PhD, and Kent E Pinkerton, PhD
The lungs have a complex network of interacting immune cells that provide the first line of defense against infection and inflammation of the lung tissue. However, this immunity is not fully developed until the first year of life. Any environmental insult to the system during a child's first year has the potential to significantly affect the overall growth and function of the respiratory system. It has been shown that infants exposed to tobacco smoke early in life have under-developed lungs and an increased risk of asthma and susceptibility to infection. In an upcoming issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Wang and colleagues discuss their study of the effect of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on infant monkeys during their growth in the womb and within the first year of their lives. The researchers found that baby monkeys exposed to tobacco smoke during the early months of life showed impaired maturation of their lungs' immune systems and those who were exposed to tobacco smoke while in the womb showed an even more significant alteration of their immune functions. These results provide new understanding of how environmental tobacco smoke causes disease and the mechanisms involved in the progression to asthma or respiratory infectious diseases in children.
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