The exploration of pulmonary dynamics in e-cigarette users utilizing hyperpolarized gas MRI
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Meeting name
Sponsors
Date
Journal Title
Format
Thesis
Subject
Abstract
[EMBARGOED UNTIL 05/01/2026] The lungs are remarkably efficient organs, designed to sustain life through continuous exchange of gases essential to metabolism and cellular function. From birth onward, they operate with little conscious effort, yet they remain susceptible to a wide range of environmental and behavioral influences. As respiratory illnesses affect a growing portion of the global population, (Collaborators., 2023) the ability to monitor, evaluate, and preserve pulmonary function is becoming increasingly critical. Advances in diagnostic imaging, particularly those that assess not just anatomical but also functional aspects of the lungs, are central to improving early detection and intervention in chronic and emerging respiratory conditions. The increasing prevalence of vaping among young adults (Becker TD, 2022) has catalyzed a new wave of concern regarding respiratory health, prompting researchers and clinicians to interrogate the long-term consequences of this relatively modern practice. (Muthumalage, 2019) Though e-cigarettes are often marketed as harm-reduction devices, a safer alternative to combustible tobacco, accumulating evidence suggests that their inhaled constituents may not be benign. Early studies have begun to uncover subtle disruptions in lung physiology linked to vaping (Casey AM, 2020) yet the field remains nascent, particularly when it comes to individuals who have never or rarely engaged in traditional smoking. This research seeks to bridge that gap by investigating whether measurable changes in lung function occur among young adults who regularly vape but have little or no prior exposure to traditional cigarettes. Specifically, this study examines whether hyperpolarized xenon magnetic resonance imaging, a modality capable of visualizing both ventilation and gas exchange, can detect early biomarkers of pulmonary impairment in this cohort. It also investigates whether these biomarkers correlate with reported respiratory symptoms, or if the symptomatology reflects a mismatch between physiological data and perceived impairment, potentially implicating non-pulmonary origins. A cross-sectional study design was employed to enroll individuals aged 18--30 who reported at least one year of regular e-cigarette use and negligible, if any, history of combustible tobacco exposure. Each participant underwent hyperpolarized xenon magnetic resonance imaging to quantify ventilation heterogeneity, gas exchange efficiency, and potential airway abnormalities. Complementary surveys and exposure assessments were administered to gather detailed information on vaping behaviors, including device type, usage frequency, duration, and nicotine concentration, as well as relevant environmental exposures. These datasets supported a multifactorial analysis of potential contributors to pulmonary dysfunction. Data from the vaping cohort were subsequently compared to previously acquired datasets from healthy, age-matched controls to evaluate deviations in lung function metrics. This project was structured around two primary aims. The first was to identify imaging biomarkers of lung function associated with clinical symptomatology in e-cigarette users, providing insight into subclinical physiological changes that may precede overt disease. The second was to examine how environmental and behavioral factors contributed to these findings by integrating imaging data with participant-specific behavioral and exposure profiles.
Table of Contents
PubMed ID
Degree
M.S.