Vaping Harm Study: DNA Changes Linked to Vaping Resemble Those Seen in Cancer

On February 18, reports emerged that a new study indicates that DNA changes in e-cigarette users may have potential carcinogenic effects, similar to those found in smokers.

These chemical changes—known as epigenetic changes—could lead to gene malfunction. Researchers noted that they are present in nearly all types of cancer and other serious diseases.

Ahmad Besaratinia, an associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, stated: “This does not mean these individuals will develop cancer.”

“What we see is that the same chemical tags detectable in tumors of cancer patients are also found in e-cigarette or smoking populations, likely due to exposure to carcinogenic chemicals present in cigarette smoke, albeit at much lower levels, including the vapor from e-cigarettes,” he said in a school press release.

Besaratinia and his colleagues said their findings add to the list of health issues associated with e-cigarettes.

The study included 45 participants who were either exclusive e-cigarette users, exclusive cigarette smokers, or non-smokers (control group).

Changes in two specific chemical tags linked to DNA were tested in blood samples, which are important for proper gene activity and/or function. These changes in chemical tag levels occurred across various age groups and in diseases such as cancer.

Compared to the control group, both smokers and e-cigarette users showed significantly reduced levels of these chemical tags. The authors of the study noted that this is the first study to show that these changes can be detected in the blood of smokers, similar to those in e-cigarette users.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many believe that using e-cigarettes is safer than smoking, with over 25% of U.S. high school students using e-cigarettes.

Researchers now plan to determine the genetic impacts of these chemical changes in all e-cigarette users. Besaratinia stated that this research could have direct implications for public policy.

He said: “The rise of e-cigarette use among adolescents and the recent outbreak of severe lung injuries and deaths associated with e-cigarettes in the U.S. highlight the importance of providing scientific evidence that future regulations on the production, sale, and distribution of e-cigarettes can be based on.”

The study was recently published online in the journal Epigenetics.