title: Validation of self-reported smoking by analysis of hair for nicotine and cotinine.
abstract: Evidence suggesting the use of self-reports as an index of systemic exposure to cigarette smoke in selected study populations is highly inaccurate. In order to assess the use of hair analysis as a biochemical marker of cigarette smoking, we compared measurements of nicotine and cotinine in the hair and plasma of 36 volunteers whose reports of smoking were deemed to be reliable. A significant correlation was observed between the number of cigarettes smoked and hair measurements of nicotine (r = 0.48, p = 0.004) and cotinine (r = 0.57, p = 0.0008). In addition, a good correlation was found between the reported number of cigarettes smoked and plasma nicotine, plasma cotinine, and carboxyhemoglobin levels. These results suggest that hair analysis is a reliable noninvasive method of determining human exposure to cigarette smoke and is comparable to blood analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eliopoulos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D003367:Cotinine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009538:Nicotine; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin; D003367:Cotinine