Effects of smoking cessation on biological monitoring markers in urine

Yuya Kawasaki; Yun-Shan Li; Yuko Ootsuyama; Kazuhiko Nagata; Hiroshi Yamato; Kazuaki Kawai

doi:10.1186/s41021-020-00165-z

Effects of smoking cessation on biological monitoring markers in urine

Genes Environ. 2020 Sep 11:42:26. doi: 10.1186/s41021-020-00165-z. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Yuya Kawasaki¹, Yun-Shan Li¹, Yuko Ootsuyama¹, Kazuhiko Nagata², Hiroshi Yamato³, Kazuaki Kawai^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Oncology, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 807-8555 Japan.
² Nagata Medical Clinic, 4-3-1 Takasu Higashi, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 808-0144 Japan.
³ Department of Health Development, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 807-8555 Japan.
⁴ Center for Stress-related Disease Control and Prevention, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 807-8555 Japan.

Abstract

Introduction: Urinary nicotine and cotinine levels are often measured as biomarkers for tobacco smoke exposure. However, these biomarkers are not appropriate to evaluate the effects of quitting smoking for several days, because of their short half-lives. In this study, we focused on the changes in the urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) levels of 55 patients in a smoking cessation program, because of the long half-life. At the same time, urinary 7-methylguanine (m⁷Gua) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), as DNA damage markers of cigarette smoking, were also measured.

Results: In the subjects who completed the quit-smoking program (18 subjects out of 55), the urinary nicotine and cotinine levels decreased to 1.7 and 0.2% at 8 weeks after the first visit to the clinic. By contrast, the NNAL levels decreased to 12.3% at 8 weeks after quitting smoking. During the same period, the urinary m⁷Gua levels significantly decreased, from 27.32 μg/mg creatinine to 14.17 μg/mg creatinine by the elimination of subjects who showed increased levels of NNAL during the smoking cessation program. The 8-OHdG levels were also reduced within the same period, but were not significantly different. From the all data analysis, the urinary levels of cotinine and NNAL positively correlated with the level of m⁷Gua.

Conclusions: NNAL may be an appropriate exposure marker for evaluating the smoking status of patients in a smoking cessation program. The urinary cotinine and NNAL levels positively correlated with the m⁷Gua levels.

Keywords: 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL); 7-methylguanine (m7Gua); 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG); Cotinine; Nicotine; Smoking cessation.