Summary
Introduction:
This text provides an overview of a study investigating the levels of various urinary mercapturic acids associated with carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic volatile organic chemicals in subjects with different smoking habits. The study includes non-smokers (NS), traditional tobacco smokers (TTS), and electronic cigarette users (ECU). The study aims to compare the levels of these urinary mercapturic acids in these three groups and assess the impact of smoking habits on the body burden of toxicants.
Key Points:
* The study included 67 subjects, with 38 NS, 7 ECU, and 21 TTS.
* Urinary mercapturic acids were measured and adjusted for creatinine.
* The study found that levels of most mercapturic acids were higher in TTS than in both NS and ECU.
* however, ECU had higher levels of several mercapturic acids than NS, indicating an impact of this habit on the body burden of toxicants.
* The study also found that TTS had higher levels of DhBMa, MhBMa, SPMa, and hEMa, which are metabolites of known carcinogens.
* additionally, ECU had higher levels of CEMa, which is a metabolite of acrylonitrile, a probable carcinogen.
* The study found that creatinine was significantly associated with an increase in all mercapturic acids included in the study.
Main Message:
The study provides important insights into the levels of urinary mercapturic acids associated with different smoking habits. The findings suggest that both TTS and ECU contribute to the body burden of toxicants, with TTS having higher levels of metabolites of known carcinogens. The study highlights the importance of monitoring urinary mercapturic acids as biomarkers of exposure to volatile organic chemicals and emphasizes the need for further research to better understand the impact of ECU on health outcomes. Overall, the study underscores the importance of tobacco control measures to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals and prevent tobacco-related diseases.
Citation
Frigerio G, Mercadante R, Campo L, et al. Urinary biomonitoring of subjects with different smoking habits. Part I: Profiling mercapturic acids. Toxicology letters. 2020;327:48-57. doi:10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.03.010
