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• Cigarette smoke allows allergens to cross the respiratory epithelium 

Exposing human bronchial epithelial cells to cigarette smoke extract induces a greater than threefold increase in allergen penetration across the respiratory epithelium, research shows.

The results suggest that "cigarette smoking damages the respiratory epithelial barrier and allows allergens to intrude more efficiently into the subepithelial tissues," according to Verena Niederberger (Medical University of Vienna, Austria) and colleagues in the journal Allergy.

Several epidemiological studies have suggested a positive association between smoking and allergy, although this link is still a matter of debate. Other studies, for example, have shown a negative association between active smoking and atopy.

In this study, Niederberger and colleagues investigated whether cigarette smoke directly impaired the barrier functions of the respiratory epithelium for allergens.

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