Korean male active smokers: quantifying their smoking habits and the transformation factor among biomarkers in urine and blood

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of the study was to investigate the correlations within the levels of biomarkers in different biological matrices, along with smoking topography variables, among active male smokers in Korea. Accordingly, we defined a transformation factor to convert level of tobacco smoke exposure and impact biomarkers from different biometrics.

Methods

We examined smoking topography of recruited volunteers using a self-reporting survey. The level of tobacco smoke exposure and impact biomarkers in subjects’ urine and blood were analysed. Results were used to assess the correlations between the topography survey items with biomarkers in biological matrices. The relationship between the biomarkers in urine and blood was analysed. Accordingly, we defined a transformation factor as the ratio of different biomarkers in urine and blood matrices.

Results

Significant correlations among smoking topography variables and biomarkers were found. Besides, a strong significant association was found among urine and blood cotinine (ρ = 0.817) and NMR (ρ = 0.905). Urine vs blood cotinine and NMR transformation factors were calculated to be 6.17 L-Blood/g-Creatinine and 10.2, respectively.

Conclusions

The validated transformation factor connects epidemiological cohort studies with tobacco smoking exposure risk assessment. Hence, this study might be beneficial for further habit-based smoking risk assessments to obtain successful regional cession policies.

Keywords:

• Biological matrices
• biomarker analysis
• NMR
• smoking topography
• tobacco science
• transformation factor

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Correction

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Program funded by the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention [fund code 2019-E6704-00].