title: Nicotine and cotinine levels in body fluids of smokers who committed suicide.
abstract: Cigarette smoking is associated with a higher risk for suicide. The present study was conducted on the hypothesis that suicide smokers show higher nicotine and cotinine levels in blood and urine than non-suicide smokers. We determined nicotine and cotinine levels in blood and urine of 87 deceased individuals (18 suicides and 69 non-suicides) by gas chromatography. The smoking rate was 77.8% for individuals who committed suicide and 42.0% for those who did not commit suicide. Average nicotine and cotinine levels in blood were significantly higher in the suicide smokers than in the non-suicide smokers (nicotine: 93.2+/-46.6 ng/ml versus 25.8+/-14.4 ng/ml, p<0.0001 and cotinine: 378+/-235 ng/ml versus 201+/-137 ng/ml, p<0.005). Average levels of urinary nicotine and cotinine were also significantly higher in the suicide smokers than in the non-suicide smokers (nicotine: 1980+/-2210 ng/ml versus 394+/-376 ng/ml, p<0.005 and cotinine: 1170+/-1330 ng/ml versus 414+/-290 ng/ml, p<0.05). Twenty-six decedents were intoxicated with alcohol, and they included 7 suicides (7 smokers) and 19 non-suicides (15 smokers). Our data suggest that cigarette smokers who commit suicide smoke more heavily than other cigarette smokers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Nankoku City, Kochi 783-8505, Japan. moriyaf@med.kochi-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Furumiya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000401:mortality; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002423:Cause of Death; D015897:Comorbidity; D003367:Cotinine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000378:metabolism*; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D003367:Cotinine