Sie sind hier: Startseite > Therapeutics (ehemalig) > Effects of Smoked Marijuana on the Lung and Its Immune Defenses: Implications for Medicinal Use in HIV-Infected Patients
J Cannabis Ther 2001(3/4):087-102
Smoking and the Lung
Effects of Smoked Marijuana on the Lung and Its Immune Defenses: Implications for Medicinal Use in HIV-Infected Patients
Author
D.P. Tashkin
Abstract
Habitual marijuana smoking may cause a number of potentially harmful effects on the lung, including the following: (1) acute and chronic bronchitis; (2) extensive histopathologic alterations in the cells lining the bronchial passages that could impair mucociliary clearance or predispose to malignancy; (3) increased accumulation of inflammatory cells (alveolar macrophages) in the lung; and (4) impairment in the function of these important immune-effector cells, including their ability to kill microorganisms and to produce protective pro-inflammatory cytokines. The major potential pulmonary consequences of habitual marijuana use are pulmonary infection and respiratory cancer. Infectious complications could be due to smoking-related damage to the mucociliary clearance mechanism, marijuana-related impairment in the antimicrobial function of alveolar macrophages and/or fungal or bacterial contamination of marijuana. Patients with pre-existing immune deficits due to AIDS could be particularly susceptible to pulmonary infectious complications of marijuana use.
Keywords
Pulmonary function, cannabis, medical marijuana, HIV, AIDS
Veranstaltungen 2020
Alle Informationen zu den IACM Online Events inklusive kostenlose Videos der Webinare mit deutschen Untertiteln finden Sie hier.
IACM-Konferenz 2022
Die 12. IACM-Konferenz zu Cannabinoiden in der Medizin wird am 20. und 21. Oktober 2022 zusammen mit der Schweizerischen SSCM in Basel/Schweiz stattfinden.
Members only
Regular members can sign up for the new member area of the IACM to access exclusive content.
You need to become a regular member of the IACM to access the new member area.
IACM on Twitter
Follow us on twitter @IACM_Bulletin where you can send us inquiries and receive updates on research studies and news articles.