Effect of tobacco smoking on the epigenetic age of human respiratory organs

BACKGROUND: Smoking leads to the aging of organs. However, no studies have been conducted to quantify the effect of smoking on the aging of respiratory organs and the aging-reversing ability of smoking cessation. RESULTS: We collected genome-wide methylation datasets of buccal cells, airway cells, esophagus tissue, and lung tissue from non-smokers, smokers, and ex-smokers. We used the “epigenetic clock” method to quantify the epigenetic age acceleration in the four organs. The statistical analyses showed the following: (1) Smoking increased the epigenetic age of airway cells by an average of 4.9 years and lung tissue by 4.3 years. (2) After smoking ceased, the epigenetic age acceleration in airway cells (but not in lung tissue) slowed to a level that non-smokers had. (3) The epigenetic age acceleration in airway cells and lung tissue showed no gender difference. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking can accelerate the epigenetic age of human respiratory organs, but the effect varies among organs and can be reversed by smoking cessation. Our study provides a powerful incentive to reduce tobacco consumption autonomously.