A Multi-Omics Study of Epigenetic Changes in Type II Alveolar Cells of A/J Mice Exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke.

Lung cancer remains a major contributor to cancer fatalities, with cigarette smoking known to be responsible for up to 80% of cases. Based on the ability of cigarette smoke to induce inflammation in the lungs and increased lung cancer incidence in smokers with inflammatory conditions such as COPD, we hypothesized that inflammation plays an important role in the carcinogenicity of cigarette smoke. To test this hypothesis, we performed multi-omic analyses of Type II pneumocytes of A/J mice exposed to cigarette smoke for various time periods. We found that cigarette smoke exposure resulted in significant changes in DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, gene expression patterns, and protein abundance that were partially reversible and contributed to an inflammatory and potentially oncogenic phenotype.

Unveiling microbial dynamics in lung adenocarcinoma and adjacent nontumor tissues: insights from nicotine exposure and diverse clinical stages via nanopore sequencing technology.

Background: Lung is the largest mucosal area of the human body and directly connected to the external environment, facing microbial exposure and environmental stimuli. Therefore, studying the internal microorganisms of the lung is crucial for a deeper understanding of the relationship between microorganisms and the occurrence and progression of lung cancer. Methods: Tumor and adjacent nontumor tissues were collected from 38 lung adenocarcinoma patients and used nanopore sequencing technology to sequence the 16s full-length sequence of bacteria, and combining bioinformatics methods to identify and quantitatively analyze microorganisms in tissues, as well as to enrich the metabolic pathways of microorganisms. Results: the microbial composition in lung adenocarcinoma tissues is highly similar to that in adjacent tissues, but the alpha diversity is significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues. The difference analysis results show that the bacterial communities of Streptococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Neisseriales were significantly enriched in cancer tissues. The results of metabolic pathway analysis indicate that pathways related to cellular communication, transcription, and protein synthesis were significantly enriched in cancer tissue. In addition, clinical staging analysis of nicotine exposure and lung cancer found that Haemophilus, paralinfluenzae, Streptococcus gordonii were significantly enriched in the nicotine exposure group, while the microbiota of Cardiobactereae and Cardiobacterales were significantly enriched in stage II tumors. The microbiota significantly enriched in IA-II stages were Neisseriaeae, Enterobacteriales, and Cardiobacterales, respectively. Conclusion: Nanopore sequencing technology was performed on the full length 16s sequence, which preliminarily depicted the microbial changes and enrichment of microbial metabolic pathways in tumor and adjacent nontumor tissues. The relationship between nicotine exposure, tumor progression, and microorganisms was explored, providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of lung cancer through microbial targets.

Second-Hand Tobacco Smoke Exposure: Results of Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Measurements at Hospitality Venues in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: In Ethiopia, a comprehensive smoke-free law that bans smoking in all public areas has been implemented since 2019. This study aimed to evaluate compliance with these laws by measuring the air quality and conducting covert observations at 154 hospitality venues (HVs) in Addis Ababa. METHODS: Indoor air quality was measured using Dylos air quality monitors during the peak hours of the venues, with concentrations of particulate matter <2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) used as a marker of second-hand tobacco smoke. A standardized checklist was used to assess compliance with smoke-free laws during the same peak hours. The average PM2.5 concentrations were classified as good, moderate, unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy for all, or hazardous using the World Health Organization's (WHO) standard air quality index breakpoints. RESULTS: Only 23.6% of the venues complied with all smoke-free laws indicators. Additionally, cigarette and shisha smoking were observed at the HVs. Overall, 63.9% (95% confidence interval: 56-72%) of the HVs had PM2.5 concentrations greater than 15 µg/m3. The presence of more than one cigarette smoker in the venue, observing shisha equipment in the indoor space, and the sale of tobacco products in the indoor space were significantly associated with higher median PM2.5 concentration levels (p < 0.005). Hazardous level of PM2.5 concentrations-100 times greater than the WHO standard-were recorded at HVs where several people were smoking shisha and cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: Most HVs had PM2.5 concentrations that exceeded the WHO average air quality standard. Stricter enforcement of smoke-free laws is necessary, particularly for bars and nightclubs/lounges.

Exploring the Microbial Diversity and Composition of Three Cigar Product Categories.

Cigars and cigarillos are emerging as popular tobacco alternatives to cigarettes. However, these products may be equally harmful to human health than cigarettes and are associated with similar adverse health effects. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to extensively characterize the microbial diversity and investigate differences in microbial composition across 23 different products representing three different cigar product categories: filtered cigar, cigarillo, and large cigar. High throughput sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16 s rRNA gene revealed 2124 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Our findings showed that the three categories of cigars differed significantly in observed richness and Shannon diversity, with filtered cigars exhibiting lower diversity compared to large cigars and cigarillos. We also found a shared and unique microbiota among different product types. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum in all product categories, followed by Actinobacteria. Among the 16 genera shared across all product types were Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Pantoea. Nine genera were exclusively shared by large cigars and cigarillos and an additional thirteen genera were exclusive to filtered cigars. Analysis of individual cigar products showed consistent microbial composition across replicates for most large cigars and cigarillos while filtered cigars showed more inter-product variability. These findings provide important insights into the microbial diversity of the different cigar product types.

[Influence of smoking, nutrition and other modifiable environmental factors on rheumatoid arthritis]. / Einfluss von Rauchen, Ernährung und anderen modifizierbaren Umweltfaktoren auf die rheumatoide Arthritis.

Numerous reports in recent years have focused on the influence of environmental factors on rheumatoid arthritis. This article provides an overview of the current study situation on the influence of modifiable environmental factors on the development and course of rheumatoid arthritis. Lifestyle factors, such as cigarette smoking, diet, exercise and body weight can be individually influenced. Factors such as air pollution and socioeconomic status can be influenced by environmental and sociopolitical measures at a public level. Epidemiological studies have identified nicotine abuse, an unhealthy diet and obesity as well as a low level of education and social status as risk factors for the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous factors are also associated with a poorer response to treatment and a worse prognosis. As randomized interventional studies on most environmental factors are hardly feasible, the causal relationship of the individual factors to the incidence and progression of rheumatoid arthritis is difficult to quantify. Nevertheless, the current evidence already enables the provision of appropriate counselling to patients with rheumatoid arthritis with respect to a healthy lifestyle including abstaining from cigarette smoking, maintaining a healthy diet, physical activity and avoiding obesity.

Place-based estimates of cigarette butt litter raise environmental justice concerns in the United States.

Littering of cigarette butts is a major environmental challenge. In 2022, ~124 billion cigarette butts were littered in the United States. This litter may pose an environmental justice concern by disproportionately affecting human and environmental health in communities of color or communities of low socioeconomic status. However, the lack of data on the distribution and magnitude of cigarette butt littering prevents an environmental justice analysis and limits the ability to tackle this environmental challenge. We conducted an environmental justice assessment of tobacco product waste, specifically cigarette butts, through spatially-explicit, place-based estimates across the contiguous U.S. We built a bottom-up model by synthesizing census tract-level population and smoking prevalence, state-level cigarette consumption, and published littering data to assess the spatial pattern of cigarette consumption and littering, and its implications for environmental injustice in >71,600 U.S. census tracts. Further, we compared the model output to urbanicity (rural-urban commuting area) and Social-Environmental Risk (SER; CDC Environmental Justice Index). Cigarette butt density was not uniformly distributed across the U.S. and ranged from 0-45.5 butts/m2, with an area-weighted average of 0.019 ± 0.0005 butts/m2. Cigarette butt density was 96 times higher in metropolitan vs. rural areas. Cigarette butt density increased significantly with SER, with 5.6 times more littered cigarette butts, and a steeper response to population density, in census tracts with the highest SER vs. the lowest SER. These results demonstrate the relative influences of location, smoking prevalence, and population density, and show that cigarette butt littering is a potential environmental justice concern in the U.S. This study provides information that may help devise targeted strategies to reduce cigarette butt pollution and prevent disproportionate impacts. The spatial data layer with place-based cigarette consumption and butt density is a tool that can support municipal, state, and federal level policy work and future studies on associations among cigarette butt pollution and environmental health outcomes.

Virtual Reality Environmental Enrichment Effects on Craving for Cigarette in Smokers.

Background: Preclinical studies suggested the exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) as an intervention able to prevent or reduce nicotine-taking and nicotine-seeking behaviors. Virtual reality (VR) may help to test the effects of EE in smokers in a reproducible and feasible manner. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 31 smokers (14 women) were divided into two groups: (1) exposure to a virtual EE (VR-EE) and (2) exposure to a virtual neutral environment (VR-NoEE). Cigarette craving was assessed as basal and evoked, at different timepoints during the session. Behavior activity during VR exposure, mood, and subjective measures were also collected. Results: EE exposure in VR significantly reduced craving scores from basal timepoint. This was not observed in the VR-NoEE group, which significantly increased craving compared with values at neutral scenario. When both groups were exposed to smoking-related VR scenario, the VR-EE group showed an increased craving compared with previous timepoint up to score values not different from those in the VR-NoEE group. A significant positive correlation between basal craving scores and interactive behavior with virtual smoking cues was observed in the VR-NoEE but not in the VR-EE group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that virtual EE might have an inhibitory effect in smokers on basal, but not on evoked cigarette craving. Noteworthily, the interactive activity correlation to craving scores in the VR-NoEE participants was not observed in the VR-EE group, adding further evidence that the enrichment simulation was nonetheless able to modify behavior in the smoking-related scenario.

Integrative metagenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analysis reveal the microbiota-host interplay in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma among non-smokers.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (ES-LUAD) is steadily increasing among non-smokers. Previous research has identified dysbiosis in the gut microbiota of patients with lung cancer. However, the local microbial profile of non-smokers with ES-LUAD remains largely unknown. In this study, we systematically characterized the local microbial community and its associated features to enable early intervention. METHODS: A prospective collection of ES-LUAD samples (46 cases) and their corresponding normal tissues adjacent to the tumor (41 cases), along with normal lung tissue samples adjacent to pulmonary bullae in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax (42 cases), were subjected to ultra-deep metagenomic sequencing, host transcriptomic sequencing, and proteomic sequencing. The obtained omics data were subjected to both individual and integrated analysis using Spearman correlation coefficients. RESULTS: We concurrently detected the presence of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the lung tissues. The microbial profile of ES-LUAD exhibited similarities to NAT but demonstrated significant differences from the healthy controls (HCs), characterized by an overall reduction in species diversity. Patients with ES-LUAD exhibited local microbial dysbiosis, suggesting the potential pathogenicity of certain microbial species. Through multi-omics correlations, intricate local crosstalk between the host and local microbial communities was observed. Additionally, we identified a significant positive correlation (rho > 0.6) between Methyloversatilis discipulorum and GOLM1 at both the transcriptional and protein levels using multi-omics data. This correlated axis may be associated with prognosis. Finally, a diagnostic model composed of six bacterial markers successfully achieved precise differentiation between patients with ES-LUAD and HCs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study depicts the microbial spectrum in patients with ES-LUAD and provides evidence of alterations in lung microbiota and their interplay with the host, enhancing comprehension of the pathogenic mechanisms that underlie ES-LUAD. The specific model incorporating lung microbiota can serve as a potential diagnostic tool for distinguishing between ES-LUAD and HCs.

Occupational and environmental risk factors for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental and occupational risk factors of IPF. METHODS: This hospital-based, case-control study included 206 patients with IPF selected from the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Interstitial Lung Disease registry and 167 controls without lung disease. Data on occupation, lifestyle, transportation, and types of environmental and occupational dust exposure were obtained using a questionnaire. IPF diagnosis was confirmed based on the recent guidelines, and the possibility of hypersensitivity pneumonitis was excluded. Multiple logistic regression was performed to determine the risk factors for IPF. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and sex, ever-smokers (odds ratio [OR], 2.35; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.51-3.68) and individuals who smoked more than 30 pack-years (OR, 2.79; 95%CI: 1.70-4.68) showed an increased risk for IPF. Any occupational dust exposure (adjusted OR, 2.08; 95%CI: 1.19-3.72), especially exposure to chemicals (adjusted OR, 3.52; 99%CI: 1.56-9.05), was associated with IPF after adjusting for age, sex, and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking and occupational dust exposure are associated with an increased risk for IPF. Both factors have dose and duration-dependent relationships with the risk for IPF.

Impact of secondhand smoke on air quality in partially enclosed outdoor hospitality venues: a review.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is a leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity globally. The pollutants generated from smoke are not only harmful to smokers, but also to those exposed to secondhand smoke. As a result of increasingly restrictive indoor smoke-free policies in many countries, there is a tendency for tobacco smoking to move outdoors into partially enclosed settings in hospitality venues. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the impact of secondhand smoke on air quality in outdoor hospitality venues. METHODS: Two electronic databases PubMed and Scopus were searched from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2022 for studies of air quality impacts from tobacco smoking in outdoor hospitality venues. A total of 625 studies were screened and 13 studies were included in this review. RESULTS: The majority (9 studies) of reviewed studies monitored PM2.5 concentration as an indicator of secondhand smoke. PM2.5 was reported from 10.9 µg/m3 to 91.0 µg/m3 in outdoor smoking areas, compared to 4.0 µg/m3 to 20.4 µg/m3 in outdoor control sites unaffected by smoking. Secondhand smoke can also drift into adjacent outdoor areas or infiltrate into indoor environments thus affecting air quality in spaces where smoking is not permitted. CONCLUSIONS: The reviewed studies indicated that air quality within outdoor hospitality venues where smoking is permitted is unlikely to meet current World Health Organization (WHO) ambient air quality guidelines for PM2.5. Customers and staff in outdoor hospitality venues with active smoking, and in adjacent outdoor and indoor non-smoking areas, are potentially exposed to secondhand smoke at levels exceeding WHO guidelines. Stronger smoking control policies are recommended for outdoor hospitality venues to protect the health of customers and staff from harmful secondhand smoke exposure. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42022342417.

The effect of climatic variables and techno-structural factors on the water pollution caused by nicotine leakage from littered cigarette butts.

Nicotine is one of the main pollutants in cigarette smoke that trapped in the filter. Nicotine leakage from cigarette butts is one of the concerns associated with this hazardous waste. In this study, the concentration of nicotine leaked from cigarette butts into the urban environment was investigated under the influence of three parameters including rainfall, density, and the durability of the littered cigarette butt. The leakage of nicotine into the environment was estimated in six scenarios based on the difference in the durability of cigarette butts in the urban environment and the humidity ratio. The results showed that the density of littered cigarette butts was 0.0019-0.294 number/m2. The density of littered cigarette butts in residential land-use was 52.38% lower than commercial land-use. Nicotine leakage from cigarette butts in commercial, residential, and recreational land-uses was 1.1, 0.484, and .0065 mg/m2, respectively. In the studied scenarios, in the best and worst case, 335,070 and 481,950 gr/year of nicotine will leak from the cigarette butt into the water resources. Considering that cigarette butts are a serious source of toxins including nicotine to the environment, control measures are necessary to reduce its density in the urban environment.

Smoking induced salivary microbiome dysbiosis and is correlated with lipid biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: The oral microbiome plays an essential role in maintaining oral homeostasis and health; smoking significantly affects it, leading to microbial dysbiosis. The study aims to investigate changes in the oral microbiome composition of smokers in the Qatari population and establish a correlation with lipid biomarkers. METHODS: The oral microbiota was profiled from saliva samples of 200 smokers and 100 non-smokers in the Qatari population, and 16s rRNA V3-V4 region were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were clustered using QIIME and the statistical analysis was performed by R. RESULTS: Non-smokers exhibited a more diverse microbiome, with significant alpha and beta diversity differences between the non-smoker and smoker groups. Smokers had a higher abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota, Patescibacteria, and Proteobacteria at the phylum level and of Streptococcus, Prevotella, Veillonella, TM7x, and Porphyromonas at the genus level. In contrast, non-smokers had more Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteriota, and Patescibacteria at the phylum level, and Prevotella, Streptococcus, Veillonella, Porphromonas, and Neisseria at the genus level. Notably, Streptococcus was significantly positively correlated with LDL and negatively correlated with HDL. Additionally, Streptococcus salivarius, within the genus Streptococcus, was substantially more abundant in smokers. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the significant influence of smoking on the composition of the oral microbiome by enriching anaerobic microbes and depleting aerobic microbes. Moreover, the observed correlation between Streptococcus abundance and the lipid biomarkers suggests a potential link between smokers-induced salivary microbiome dysbiosis and lipid metabolism. Understanding the impact of smoking on altering the oral microbiome composition and its correlation with chemistry tests is essential for developing targeted interventions and strategies to improve oral health and reduce the risk of diseases.

Protocol for CARES-HAPIN: an ambidirectional cohort study on exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and risk of early childhood caries.

INTRODUCTION: Prenatal and postnatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been linked with early childhood caries (ECC), but the specific molecular mechanisms and pathways remain largely unknown. The Caries Risk from exposure to Environmental tobacco Smoke (CARES) within the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) study aims to establish the association between ETS and ECC by employing epidemiological and novel biomarker-based approaches. Here, we outline the overall design and rationale of the project. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will leverage the infrastructure and data from the HAPIN trial (India) to mount the CARES study. In this ambidirectional cohort study, children (n=735, aged: 3-5 years) will undergo ECC examination by a trained dentist using standard criteria and calibrated methods. Structured questionnaires will be used to gather information on sociodemographic variables, dietary habits, oral hygiene, oral health-related quality of life and current exposure to ETS. We will collect non-invasive or minimally invasive biospecimens (i.e., saliva, buccal cells, dried blood spots and urine) from a subset of HAPIN children (n=120) to assess a battery of biomarkers indicative of exposure to ETS, early biological effect and epigenetic modifications. Both self-reported and objective measures of ETS exposure collected longitudinally during in utero and early postnatal periods will be accessed from the HAPIN database. We will apply current science data techniques to assess the association and interrelationships between ETS, ECC, and multiple biomarkers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Information gathered in this research will be published in peer-reviewed journals and summaries will be shared with the key stakeholders as well as patients and their parents/guardians involved in this study. Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research Ethics Board has approved the study protocol (IEC-NI22/JUL/83/82). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02944682.

Gingiva squamous-cell carcinoma in a non-smoking patient with occupational exposure to solvent siphoning using mouth: case report and literature review.

Background: While overall head and neck cancer incidence decreases due to reduced tobacco and alcohol consumption, the incidence of HPV negative oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is raising in several industrialized countries, especially in non-smoking and non-drinking patients. Case presentation: We document a case of gingiva SCC in a 56 years old never-smoker patient reporting low alcohol consumption and unusual occupational solvent exposure. The HPV-negative lesion was surgically removed in 2018, and the patient remains in complete remission 4 years after recurrent surgery in 2019. In 2021, the patient was referred to the occupational cancer consultation. The patient worked as screen printer for 18 years. He reported mouth siphoning every 2-3 days to transfer organic solvents (mainly aromatic hydrocarbons and ketones) from containers into smaller recipients, with regular passage of solvents into his mouth. Conclusion: According to the literature, the frequency of solvent siphoning using mouth is likely to be underestimated. While our review did not find studies reporting longterm consequences to the oral cavity of mouth siphoning, current evidence supports a positive association of upper aero digestive tract SCC with occupational exposures to organic solvents and printing processes. In absence of major extraprofessional factors, the HPV-negative gingiva SCC of this patient might be attributable to the regular occupational oral solvent exposure. While the available evidence remains limited to formally establish a causal relationship, clinicians should investigate this hazardous work practice in patients with OSCC and history of solvent exposures.

The impact of exposure to tobacco smoke and e-cigarettes on asthma-related outcomes: Systematic review informing the EAACI guidelines on environmental science for allergic diseases and asthma.

To inform the clinical practice guidelines' recommendations developed by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology systematic reviews (SR) assessed using GRADE on the impact of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and active smoking on the risk of new-onset asthma/recurrent wheezing (RW)/low lung function (LF), and on asthma-related outcomes. Only longitudinal studies were included, almost all on combustion cigarettes, only one assessing e-cigarettes and LF. According to the first SR (67 studies), prenatal ETS increases the risk of RW (moderate certainty evidence) and may increase the risk of new-onset asthma and of low LF (low certainty evidence). Postnatal ETS increases the risk of new-onset asthma and of RW (moderate certainty evidence) and may impact LF (low certainty evidence). Combined in utero and postnatal ETS may increase the risk of new-onset asthma (low certainty evidence) and increases the risk of RW (moderate certainty evidence). According to the second SR (24 studies), ETS increases the risk of severe asthma exacerbations and impairs asthma control and LF (moderate certainty evidence). According to the third SR (25 studies), active smoking increases the risk of severe asthma exacerbations and of suboptimal asthma control (moderate certainty evidence) and may impact asthma-related quality-of-life and LF (low certainty evidence).

Oral microbiome dysbiosis among cigarette smokers and smokeless tobacco users compared to non-users.

Tobacco use significantly influences the oral microbiome. However, less is known about how different tobacco products specifically impact the oral microbiome over time. To address this knowledge gap, we characterized the oral microbiome of cigarette users, smokeless tobacco users, and non-users over 4 months (four time points). Buccal swab and saliva samples (n = 611) were collected from 85 participants. DNA was extracted from all samples and sequencing was carried out on an Illumina MiSeq, targeting the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Cigarette and smokeless tobacco users had more diverse oral bacterial communities, including a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes and a lower relative abundance of Proteobacteria, when compared to non-users. Non-users had a higher relative abundance of Actinomyces, Granulicatella, Haemophilus, Neisseria, Oribacterium, Prevotella, Pseudomonas, Rothia, and Veillonella in buccal swab samples, compared to tobacco users. While the most abundant bacterial genera were relatively constant over time, some species demonstrated significant shifts in relative abundance between the first and last time points. In addition, some opportunistic pathogens were detected among tobacco users including Neisseria subflava, Bulleidia moorei and Porphyromonas endodontalis. Overall, our results provide a more holistic understanding of the structure of oral bacterial communities in tobacco users compared to non-users.

Study on the evaluation method of cigarette astringency in the simulated oral environment.

Cigarettes with pronounced astringency can diminish consumers' enjoyment. However, due to the complex composition of cigarettes, quantifying astringency intensity accurately has been challenging. To address this, research was conducted to develop a method for assessing astringency intensity in a simulated oral environment. The astringency intensity of four cigarette brands was determined using the standard sensory evaluation method. The mainstream smoke absorbing solution (MS) was prepared by simulating the cigarette smoking process, and its physicochemical properties (such as total phenol content and pH levels) were analyzed. The lubrication properties of the five solutions were tested using the MFT-5000 wear tester, and factors influencing cigarette astringency were examined. The findings showed that total phenol content and pH of MS were positively and negatively correlated with astringency intensity, respectively. Particularly, the lubrication properties of MS were significantly correlated with astringency intensity, and the correlation coefficient was affected by load and speed during testing. The study concluded that coefficient of friction was a more reliable measure for assessing the extent of astringency in cigarettes than the total phenol content and pH of MS, offering new insights into astringency evaluation and development of high-grade cigarettes.

Prevalence of Wheezing and Its Association with Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure among Rural and Urban Preschool Children in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of wheezing and its association with environmental tobacco smoke exposure among rural and urban preschool children in Mpumalanga province, South Africa, an area associated with poor air quality. METHODS: In this study, parents/caregivers of preschool children (n = 3145) completed a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. Data were analysed using multiple logistic regression models. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of Wheeze Ever was 15.14%, with a higher prevalence in urban preschoolers than rural preschoolers (20.71% vs. 13.30%, p < 0.000). Moreover, the total prevalence of Asthma Ever was 2.34%. The prevalence was greater in urban preschoolers than in rural preschoolers (3.92% vs. 1.81%, p < 0.001). In the final adjusted model, both urban- and rural-area children who lived with one or more people who smoked in the same household (WE: OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.11-1.86) (CW: OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.38-3.16) and (AE: OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.12-5.54) were found to have an increased likelihood of having Wheeze Ever, Current Wheeze, and Asthma Ever as compared to those who lived with non-smokers. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of smoking limits and prohibition is crucial in areas that are frequented or utilized by children. Hence, it is imperative for healthcare providers to actively champion the rights of those who do not smoke within the society, while also endorsing legislative measures aimed at curtailing the extent of tobacco smoke exposure.