title: Cotinine determination by immunoassays may be influenced by other nicotine metabolites.
abstract: Polyclonal rabbit anticotinine antiserum, which can be used for biomonitoring nicotine uptake by the determination of cotinine in body fluids, was checked by a competitive ELISA for its cross-reactivity with nine nicotine metabolites. The highest percentage of relative cross-reactivity (about 30%) was observed with trans-3'-hydroxycotinine, a metabolite which is known to be excreted in 3-fold higher amounts than cotinine in the urine of human smokers. Therefore, it is possible that cotinine determinations performed by immunochemical methods--especially in urine--may yield overestimated cotinine concentrations.
authors.affiliation: INBIFO Institut für biologische Forschung, Köln, Federal Republik of Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schepers
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Walk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002021:Buffers; D003367:Cotinine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D009538:Nicotine / Q000378:metabolism*; D011760:Pyrrolidinones / Q000032:analysis*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D011760:Pyrrolidinones; C001381:hydroxycotinine; D009538:Nicotine; D003367:Cotinine