CDC Reports Breakthrough in Vaping-Linked Lung Injury Investigation

By Kelly Young

Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH

Vitamin E acetate has been detected for the first time in the lungs of patients who vaped and developed serious lung injury. Vitamin E acetate is a thick, oily substance added to some e-liquids, particularly those containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

"These new findings are significant because for the first time we have detected a potential toxin of concern ... from biological samples," CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat said on Friday. Previously, vitamin E acetate had been detected in product samples.

Reporting their results in MMWR, researchers tested bronchoalveolar lavage samples from 29 patients with vaping-related lung injury from 10 states. All samples tested positive for vitamin E acetate. THC was detected in 82% of samples, and nicotine metabolites in 62%. Officials said there may be other components that are causing harm, and more testing is needed. They noted that vitamin E acetate shouldn't be added to e-cigarette/vaping products.

Another MMWR study reports risk factors for vaping-related lung injury. Illinois state health officials compared survey results from 66 patients aged 18 to 44 who developed lung injury related to vaping or e-cigarette use with results from 519 users of THC-containing vaping products who did not get sick. Compared with people who didn't get sick, those with lung injury were more likely to report exclusively using THC vaping products (adjusted odds ratio, 2.0), using such products more than five times daily (aOR, 3.1), getting their products from a dealer or other unofficial source (aOR, 9.2), and using counterfeit THC products known as Dank Vapes (aOR, 8.5).

Overall, the CDC reports that there have been 2051 probable and confirmed cases of vaping-related lung injury as of Nov. 5, and 39 people have died.