Influence of Ordinary Cigarettes and Their Substitute IQOS<sup>®</sup> on Secretory Immunoglobulin A in Unstimulated Saliva
<b>Background</b>: Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) plays a key role in oral and mucosal immunity, serving as a first-line defense against pathogens. Smoking is known to negatively affect immune function, but data on the impact of heated tobacco products such as IQOS<sup>®</sup...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Dentistry Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/13/7/297 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | <b>Background</b>: Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) plays a key role in oral and mucosal immunity, serving as a first-line defense against pathogens. Smoking is known to negatively affect immune function, but data on the impact of heated tobacco products such as IQOS<sup>®</sup> on sIgA levels are limited. <b>Objective</b>: To assess and compare the effects of conventional cigarette smoking and IQOS<sup>®</sup> use on the concentration of salivary sIgA in healthy individuals. <b>Methods</b>: A total of 200 participants were enrolled and divided into three groups: 60 non-smokers, 70 conventional cigarette smokers, and 70 IQOS<sup>®</sup> users. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected and analyzed for sIgA concentration using ELISA method. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25. <b>Results</b>: Mean salivary sIgA levels were significantly lower in both cigarette smokers (246.03 μg/mL) and IQOS<sup>®</sup> users (243.54 μg/mL) compared to non-smokers (380.74 μg/mL, <i>p</i> < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between cigarette smokers and IQOS<sup>®</sup> users. A pronounced reduction in sIgA was seen in female users of both tobacco products, whereas male users did not show a statistically significant decline. <b>Conclusions</b>: Both cigarette smoking and IQOS<sup>®</sup> use are associated with a significant decrease in salivary sIgA levels, particularly in females. The findings suggest that IQOS<sup>®</sup> does not offer an immunological advantage over conventional smoking in terms of preserving mucosal immunity. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2304-6767 |