• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Clin Respir J . Causal Inference of Different Smoke Exposure Statuses and Influenza Risk: Insights From a Mendelian Randomization Study

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Respir J


. 2025 May;19(5):e70083.
doi: 10.1111/crj.70083. Causal Inference of Different Smoke Exposure Statuses and Influenza Risk: Insights From a Mendelian Randomization Study

Yanqi Guo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Haixia Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shijie Wu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jiesen Zhou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Zhihua Chen[SUP] 1 [/SUP]



Affiliations
Abstract

Introduction: Previous observational studies have suggested a potential association between smoking exposure and influenza infection risk. However, the impact of different smoke exposure statuses on susceptibility to influenza infection remains insufficiently explored. This study employs Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal relationship between smoking exposure statuses, including current tobacco use, household smoking exposure, past smoking history, and the risk of influenza infection.
Methods: The summary-level data for this study were obtained from the FinnGen Consortium R11 and Neale Lab, both outcomes and exposures. To ensure robust results, we employed multiplicative random-effects inverse variance weighting, MR-Egger, and weighted median (WM) methods to analyze single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We also conducted Cochran's Q test, MR-PRESSO, and the MR-Egger intercept test to assess heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy, ensuring accurate and reliable findings.
Results: Our analysis demonstrated that elevated exposure to current tobacco smoking causally increased the risk of influenza infection, with (OR = 2.032, 95% CI 1.672-2.538, p < 0.001) or without pneumonia (OR = 2.081, 95% CI 1.824-2.338, p = 0.015). No reverse causal relationship was found, and no bidirectional effects were observed for past smoking (OR = 1.108, 95% CI 0.543-2.258, p = 0.779) or household exposure (OR = 1.127, 95% CI -0.209-2.462, p = 0.939).
Conclusion: This analysis identified a significant causal association between current tobacco smoking and increased risk of influenza infection. However, no significant association was observed for other smoking exposures (e.g., former or household smoking). These findings emphasized the importance of considering different types of smoking exposure in clinical influenza prevention and treatment strategies.

Keywords: Mendelian randomization analysis; influenza; pneumonia; tobacco smoke pollution.

 
Back
Top Bottom