Nicotine and cotinine levels in blood and urine from forensic autopsy cases.
We measured nicotine and cotinine levels in blood and urine from 31 forensic autopsy cases. Initially, we developed a sensitive and reproducible gas chromatographic method with a minimum limit of detection of 2.1 ng/ml for both nicotine and cotinine. Calibration curves for nicotine and cotinine were linear in the ranges of 2.1-1030 ng/ml (r2=0.994-0.999) and 2.1-1380 ng/ml (r2=0.998-0.999) respectively. Our population included 13 smokers and eight of these smokers committed suicide. They showed high levels of nicotine and cotinine at 65.1-205 ng/ml (mean: 115 ng/ml) and 31.3-938 ng/ml (mean: 405 ng/ml) in blood, respectively, and 234-7290 ng/ml (mean: 1940 ng/ml) and 143-4620 ng/ml (mean: 1170 ng/ml) in urine, respectively. None of these individuals consumed nicotine preparations or tobacco leaves. In five smokers who did not commit suicide, nicotine and cotinine levels were 4.4-62.1 ng/ml (mean: 33.2 ng/ml) and 49.9-217 ng/ml (mean: 140 ng/ml) in blood, respectively, and 158-314 ng/ml (mean: 246 ng/ml) and 68.9-300 ng/ml (mean: 179 ng/ml) in urine, respectively. Our results suggest that there may be a marked increase in consumption of cigarettes in smokers with suicidal thoughts.
Moriya
Fumio
F
Department of Legal Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Nankoku City, Kochi 783-8505, Japan. moriyaf@med.kochi-u.ac.jp
Hashimoto
Yoshiaki
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism; D013405:Suicide
D009538:Nicotine; D003367:Cotinine