title: Serum levels of nitric oxide and cytokines in smokers at the beginning and after 4months of treatment for smoking cessation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nitric oxide (NO) modulates inflammatory reactions, having beneficial or toxic effects depending on the concentration. Its elevation can cause proinflammatory effects amplifying the inflammatory process with the participation of cytokines. Smoking has a negative impact on health and is considered one of the risk factors that influence disease development facilitating inflammatory processes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the serum concentration of NO and cytokines in smokers at baseline and after 4months of abstinence treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples which were collected to obtain the serum, at baseline and after 4months, were stored at -80°C until analysis. NO was measured by the total dose of nitrite determined by the Greiss method. CBA was the used technique to determine the concentration of cytokines in supernatants serum. The initial and final results of NO, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 that remained after 4months treatment were compared. Wilcoxon test was used to compare the data and Spearman test for correlations between NO and other variables. A significance level of p<0.05 was adopted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis of NO observed a significant reduction (p=0.001) of the initial median value of 18.80 (3.55-80.01) μmol/L to 8.10 (2.85-14.97) μmol/L after 4months of treatment. There were no significant differences in cytokines from baseline to the end of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results may not mean harm to the body, but an adaptive process, decreasing the metabolism of abstinents due to the reduction of the use of nicotine.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Brazilian Health, Medical School, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Van Keulen
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health and Nutrition, Nutrition School, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Brazilian Health, Medical School, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: M C F
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Toffolo
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences Institute, Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences Institute, Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Vale do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: C C S
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences Institute, Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Institute Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: S C P L
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Health and Nutrition, Nutrition School, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil; Department of Nutrition, Institute Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: aline.aguiar@ufjf.edu.br.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences Institute, Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D009569:Nitric Oxide
keywords: Cytokines; Inflammatory markers; Nitric oxide; Smoking; Smoking cessation