Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) is a major threat to human health worldwide. It is well established that smoking increases the risk of respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and different forms of cancer, including lung, liver, and colon. CS-triggered inflammation is considered to play a central role in various pathologies by a mechanism that stimulates the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. During this process, epigenetic alterations are known to play important roles in the specificity and duration of gene transcription. Epigenetic alterations include three major modifications: DNA modifications via methylation; various posttranslational modifications of histones, namely, methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination; and non-coding RNA sequences. These modifications work in concert to regulate gene transcription in a heritable fashion. The enzymes that regulate these epigenetic modifications can be activated by smoking, which further mediates the expression of multiple inflammatory genes. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the epigenetic alterations triggered by CS and assess how such alterations may affect smoking-mediated inflammatory responses. The recognition of the molecular mechanisms of the epigenetic changes in abnormal inflammation is expected to contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of CS-related diseases such that novel epigenetic therapies may be identified in the near future.

中文翻译：

---

香烟烟雾引起的表观遗传改变在炎症中的作用。

接触香烟烟雾（CS）是对全球人类健康的主要威胁。众所周知，吸烟会增加罹患呼吸道疾病，心血管疾病和各种形式的癌症（包括肺，肝和结肠癌）的风险。通过刺激促炎性细胞因子释放的机制，CS触发的炎症被认为在各种病理中起着核心作用。在此过程中，表观遗传改变在基因转录的特异性和持续时间中起着重要作用。表观遗传学的改变包括三个主要的修饰：通过甲基化的DNA修饰；组蛋白的各种翻译后修饰，即甲基化，乙酰化，磷酸化和泛素化；和非编码RNA序列。这些修饰共同作用以可遗传的方式调节基因转录。可以通过吸烟激活调节这些表观遗传修饰的酶，从而进一步介导多种炎症基因的表达。在这篇综述中，我们总结了有关CS引发的表观遗传学改变的最新知识，并评估了这些改变如何影响吸烟介导的炎症反应。认识到异常炎症的表观遗传学改变的分子机制有望有助于对CS相关疾病的病理生理学的了解，从而可以在不久的将来发现新的表观遗传学疗法。进一步介导多种炎症基因的表达。在这篇综述中，我们总结了有关CS引发的表观遗传学改变的最新知识，并评估了这些改变如何影响吸烟介导的炎症反应。认识到异常炎症的表观遗传学改变的分子机制有望有助于对CS相关疾病的病理生理学的了解，从而可以在不久的将来发现新的表观遗传学疗法。进一步介导多种炎症基因的表达。在这篇综述中，我们总结了有关CS引发的表观遗传学改变的最新知识，并评估了这些改变如何影响吸烟介导的炎症反应。认识到异常炎症的表观遗传学改变的分子机制有望有助于对CS相关疾病的病理生理学的了解，从而可以在不久的将来发现新的表观遗传学疗法。