title: Cotinine and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)valine as markers of passive exposure to tobacco smoke in children.
abstract: Large segments of populations, including children, are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), a risk factor for lung cancer and heart, circulatory and respiratory diseases. Recently, ETS was classified as a class A carcinogen by USEPA, as carcinogenic to humans by IARC (group 1) and by the National Toxicology Program of the US National Institutes of Health. Cotinine, a product of the metabolism of nicotine, is measurable in urine and, correlates strictly and directly to ETS exposure, therefore representing a well-known internal dose marker. Another marker of active tobacco smoking is the N-(2-hydroxyethyl) valine (HOEtVal) which results from the reaction between ethylene oxide (EtO) and the N-terminal valine of hemoglobin. The aim of this study was the evaluations of ETS markers, namely urinary cotinine and HOEtVal measured in blood in 100 children with ages ranging between 3 and 13 years. Experimental findings show that cotinine, as a specific internal dose marker, and HOEtVal, as a nonspecific biological effective dose marker, both depend on the passive exposure to ETS as well as on the active habit of smoking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy. roberto.bono@unito.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vincenti
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schilirò
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Traversi
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pignata
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scursatone
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dotti
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gilli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D014633:Valine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; C057442:2-hydroxyethylvaline; D014633:Valine; D003367:Cotinine