Smoking and the intestinal microbiome

Abstract

Studies are emerging alluding to the role of intestinal microbiome in the pathogenesis of diseases. Intestinal microbiome is susceptible to the influence of environmental factors such as smoking, and recent studies have indicated microbiome alterations in smokers. The aim of the study was to review the literature regarding the impact of smoking on the intestinal microbiome. A literature review of publications in PUBMED was performed using combinations of the terms "Intestinal/Gut/Gastrointestinal/Colonic" with "Microbiome/Microbiota/Microbial/Flora" and "Smoking/Smoker/Tobacco". We selected studies that were published between the years 2000 and 2016 as our inclusion criteria. Observational and interventional studies suggest that the composition of intestinal microbiome is altered due to smoking. In these studies, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla were increased, as well as the genera of Clostridium, Bacteroides and Prevotella. On the other hand, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes phyla as well as the genera Bifidobacteria and Lactococcus were decreased. Smoking also decreased the diversity of the intestinal microbiome. Mechanisms that have been suggested to explain the effect of smoking on intestinal microbiome include: oxidative stress enhancement, alterations of intestinal tight junctions and intestinal mucin composition, and changes in acid-base balance. Interestingly, some smoking-induced alterations of intestinal microbiome resemble those demonstrated in conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and obesity. Further studies should be performed to investigate this connection. Smoking has an effect on intestinal microbiome and is suggested to alter its composition. This interaction may contribute to the development of intestinal and systemic diseases, particularly inflammatory bowel diseases.

The Role of the Cutaneous Microbiome in Hidradenitis Suppurativa—Light at the End of the Microbiological Tunnel

“…However, there is evidence that tobacco smoke effects both the pulmonary [68] and, perhaps more interestingly, the gastrointestinal microbiome [69]. Smoking is not only associated with a decreased diversity in the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome but also with promoting specific bacterial genera, including Bacteroides, Prevotella, Enterobacteria and Clostridium [69]. Given the potential interaction between the gastrointestinal and cutaneous microbiomes, it is at least conceivable that tobacco smoke may directly and/or indirectly affect the cutaneous microbiome, potentially contributing to the development of HS.…”

Effects of sex and chronic cigarette smoke exposure on the mouse cecal microbiome

“…It is widely accepted that a healthy gut microbiome is associated with adequate cellular metabolism and energy extraction from diet [9][10][11]. There is also a growing body of evidence that cigarette smoking may promote shifts in the gut microbial communities, leading to an imbalance between commensals and pathogenic bacteria (i.e., gut microbial dysbiosis) [12,13], which may impact on weight. Consistent with this notion, the genera Bifidobacteria and Lactococcus, which are involved in energy metabolism from short-chain fatty acids, are decreased in the intestinal flora following smoke exposure [13][14][15].…”

The Relationship between Platelet Count and Host Gut Microbiota: A Population-Based Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

“…The correlation between the abundance of taxa and platelet count and comparison of the abundance of taxa between the upper and lower 3Q groups were assessed using multivariate association with linear models (MaAsLin, version 1.0.1, http://huttenhower.sph.harvard.edu/maaslin) software package [38] for R (version 3.5.1, URL http://www.R-project.org). Analyses included covariate adjustments for age, sex, smoking status, and body mass index (BMI), all of which could affect gut microbiome composition [39][40][41][42]. All analyses using MaAsLin were performed with the default settings and presented as covariate-adjusted coefficients (CE).…”