Serum Concentrations of Cotinine and Trans-3’-hydroxycotinine in US adults: Results From Wave 1 (2013-2014) of the Population assessment of Tobacco and health Study.

Introduction:
This text provides a summary of the serum nicotine biomarker measurements in Wave 1 of the Population assessment of Tobacco and health (PaTh) Study. The study reports the first estimates of hCT in serum for daily tobacco users and nonusers in the noninstitutionalized, civilian US adult population; the first nationally representative serum COT estimates for daily exclusive users of different tobacco products and daily polyusers; and the first nationally representative estimate of the serum NMR in daily tobacco users by age, race/ethnicity, and sex.

Key Points:

* The study uses data from W1 of the PaTh Study, which is a nationally representative cohort of tobacco product users and nonusers.
* Serum nicotine biomarkers, including cotinine (COT), trans-3′-hydroxycotinine (hCT), and the nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR), were measured in blood samples collected from adult daily tobacco users and nonusers.
* The study reports the first estimates of hCT in serum for daily tobacco users and nonusers in the noninstitutionalized, civilian US adult population.
* The study provides the first nationally representative serum COT estimates for daily exclusive users of different tobacco products and daily polyusers.
* The study reports the first nationally representative estimate of the serum NMR in daily tobacco users by age, race/ethnicity, and sex.
* The study found that exclusive smokeless tobacco users had the highest COT concentrations of all user groups examined.
* The GM NMR in daily users was 0.339 (95% confidence interval: 0.330 to 0.350).

Main Message:
The study provides important estimates of serum nicotine biomarkers in a nationally representative sample of US adults, which could be used as reference ranges characterizing nicotine exposure for daily tobacco users and nonusers. These estimates can inform regulatory actions under the Tobacco Control act and help to monitor exposure to nicotine and tobacco products in the US population.

Sosnoff CS, Caron K, akins JR, et al. Serum Concentrations of Cotinine and Trans-3’-hydroxycotinine in US adults: Results From Wave 1 (2013-2014) of the Population assessment of Tobacco and health Study. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2022;24(5):736-744. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntab240