The e-BILD Study: Effects of E-cigarettes on Lung Health in Teenagers.
Condition: Vaping; Lung Diseases
MeSH terms: Lung Diseases
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS/e-cigarettes/vaping) are increasingly popular
      among teenagers around the world. The safety and potential adverse effects of ENDS in this
      population are largely unknown. While the aerosol, that users inhale, appears safe under
      laboratory conditions, there are still open questions, which have not yet been assessed.
      These cover (a) differences in exposure to chemicals (such as metabolites of Volatile Organic
      Compounds (VOCs) and metabolites of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)) between healthy
      teenagers using ENDS and healthy teenagers not vaping, (b) effects of exposure to such
      chemicals on the body (measured by lung health indicators: airway symptoms such as coughing;
      lung function and lung structure tests; immune response of airway cells exposed to vapor;
      markers of oxidative stress), and (c) the role of nicotine metabolism. It is unknown which
      lung health indicator/s is/are most relevant to assess the effect of ENDS on lung health in
      teenagers.

      The primary hypothesis of this study is that there will be differences in exposure to
      chemicals, resulting in more or more severe airway symptoms in vaping teenagers compared to
      their non-vaping peers. While there might not yet exist any differences regarding lung
      function or structure, we expect already visible effects of vaping on the local immune
      response of primary cells isolated from airways in vaping teenagers as compared to non-vaping
      peers.

      In this study, participants of the Bern Basel Infant Lung Development (BILD) cohort, a birth
      cohort of healthy term-born infants and their follow-up, will serve as healthy, non-vaping
      controls.1 Vaping teenagers will be recruited independently from the BILD study through
      advertisements and visits to Bernese schools. Both populations combined represent the study
      population of the e-BILD study. All e-BILD study participants will undergo the same
      investigations. While these are currently planned for once in a time (so-called
      cross-sectional design) to compare results from non-vaping BILD study participants to
      otherwise healthy but vaping teenagers, repeated measures might follow, depending on the
      findings of the first phase.
    


Observational model: Case-Control
Time perspective: Cross-Sectional
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        In this study, participants of the Bern Basel Infant Lung Development (BILD) cohort, a
        birth cohort of healthy term-born infants and their follow-up, will serve as healthy,
        non-vaping controls. Vaping teenagers will be recruited independently from the BILD study
        through advertisements and visits to Bernese schools. Both populations combined represent
        the study population of the e-BILD study. All e-BILD study participants will undergo the
        same investigations. While these are currently planned for once in a time (so-called
        cross-sectional design) to compare results from non-vaping BILD study participants to
        otherwise healthy but vaping teenagers, repeated measures might follow, depending on the
        findings of the first phase.
      
Biospecimen description: 
      Urine, Saliva, Nasal epithelial cells (obtained by nasal brushing)