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Smoking is Not Beneficial for Tuberculosis

The comments supplied by Dr. Dheda and his colleagues are gratefully appreciated. He points out that the title of the Journal editorial "Is smoking beneficial for granulomatous lung diseases"? (1) might have been better named "Is smoking beneficial for noninfectious granulomatous lung diseases?" He also indicates that the immunopathogenetic mechanisms underlying noninfectious granulomatous diseases such as sarcoidosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and the infectious granulomatous lung disease tuberculosis, may account for the differing response to tobacco use (a potential protective effect in the case of the noninfectious granulomatous lung diseases, and an increased disease risk in the case of tuberculosis). Dr. Dheda provides us with yet another reason to strongly counsel our patients in smoking cessation.

Lisa A. Maier

National Jewish Medical and Research Center Denver, Colorado

FOOTNOTES

Conflict of Interest Statement: L.A.M. does not have a financial relationship with a commercial entity that has an interest in the subject of this letter.

REFERENCES

1. Maier LA. Is smoking beneficial for granulomatous lung diseases? Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2004;169:893–895.[Free Full Text]

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