title: Biomarkers of exposure and potential harm in adult smokers of 3-7 mg tar yield (Federal Trade Commission) cigarettes and in adult non-smokers.
abstract: The paper reports levels of 24-h urine nicotine and five of its major metabolites (expressed as nicotine-equivalents) and blood carboxyhaemoglobin as biomarkers of exposure to particulate- and gas-phase cigarette smoke, respectively, from an exploratory pilot study of adult smokers of 3.0-6.9 mg tar delivery (Federal Trade Commission (FTC) method) cigarettes. On multiple occasions over 6 weeks, blood high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fibrinogen, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, and 24-h urine 8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha (8-epi-PGF2alpha) and 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 (11-dehydro-TxB2) were also evaluated as biomarkers of potential harm. All the biomarkers examined, except for LDL-cholesterol, discriminated with high sensitivity and specificity between adult smokers and non-smokers overall. Except for HDL-cholesterol, all biomarker medians were greater in adult smokers than in non-smokers: urine nicotine-equivalents 64.514 versus < 0.034 nmol mg-1 creatinine (p<0.001), carboxyhaemoglobin 4.0 versus 0.4% saturation (p<0.001), hs-CRP 0.27 versus 0.12 mg dl-1 (p=0.05), fibrinogen 292 versus 248 mg dl-1 (p<0.001), HDL-cholesterol 46 versus 53 mg dl-1 (p=0.003), LDL-cholesterol 119 versus 109 mg dl-1 (p=0.18), urine 8-epi-PGF2alpha 1935 versus 1034 pg mg-1 creatinine (p<0.001) and urine 11-dehydro-TxB2 973 versus 710 pg mg-1 creatinine (p<0.001). All the biomarkers of exposure and most of the biomarkers of potential harm showed no time of sampling (by visit week) effect.
authors.affiliation: Philip Morris USA, Richmond, VA 23261, USA. Barbara.K.Zedler@pmusa.com
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Zedler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kinser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oey
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: H-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Roethig
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Walk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuhl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rustemeier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schepers
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Von Holt
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Tricker
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000652:urine; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012907:Smoking; D013638:Tars; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D013638:Tars; C024746:tobacco tar; D009538:Nicotine; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin