Implications of the Immune Landscape in COPD and Lung Cancer: Smoking Versus Other Causes

Elisabeth Taucher; Iurii Mykoliuk; Joerg Lindenmann; Freyja-Maria Smolle-Juettner

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.846605

Implications of the Immune Landscape in COPD and Lung Cancer: Smoking Versus Other Causes

Front Immunol. 2022 Mar 21:13:846605. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.846605. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Elisabeth Taucher¹, Iurii Mykoliuk², Joerg Lindenmann², Freyja-Maria Smolle-Juettner²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
² Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is reported in about one third of adults worldwide. A strong relationship between cigarette smoke exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as lung cancer has been proven. However, about 15% of lung cancer cases, and between one fourth and one third of COPD cases, occur in never-smokers. The effects of cigarette smoke on the innate as well as the adaptive immune system have been widely investigated. It is assumed that certain immunologic features contribute to lung cancer and COPD development in the absence of smoking as the major risk factor. In this article, we review different immunological aspects of lung cancer and COPD with a special focus on non-smoking related risk factors.

Keywords: COPD; immune landscape; lung cancer; never-smoker; smoker.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adult
Causality
Cigarette Smoking* / adverse effects
Humans
Lung Neoplasms* / complications
Nicotiana
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* / etiology
Risk Factors