Summary
This research paper proposes the use of a combination of epigenetic and metabolomic methods to predict cigarette, vaping, and smokeless tobacco consumption in individuals. The study found that cg05575921 methylation and cotinine levels were highly correlated in smoking subjects, and that cg05575921 methylation could predict smoking status with an aUC of 0.97. The study also found that CEMa, a urinary metabolite of acetonitrile, was predictive of smoking and that at least some vaping subjects with CEMa levels above 3.0 ng/ml may have been surreptitiously smoking. The study suggests that a combination of methylomic and metabolomic methods could allow for accurate classification of use status of a variety of nicotine-containing products.
Citation
andersen a, Reimer R, Dawes K, et al. DNa methylation differentiates smoking from vaping and non-combustible tobacco use. Epigenetics. 2022;17(2):178-190. doi:10.1080/15592294.2021.1890875
