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Tobacco Usage and Serum Cotinine: A Hospital Based Study
BC05-BC09
Correspondence
Dr. Vaishali Satyajeet Pawar,
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Deemed to be University,
Malakapur-415539, Karad, Maharashtra, India.
E-mail: drvspawar269@gmail.com
Introduction: Tobacco usage is mainly in the form of smoking and smokeless tobacco. Some studies commented that smokeless tobacco has high nicotine and toxic effect, but the studies with depictive data have been limited. Cotinine is one of the nicotine metabolite, which is used as a marker to quantify tobacco exposure.
Aim: To estimate serum cotinine (CTN) levels in tobacco smokers and smokeless tobacco users and to compare them with tobacco non-users.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 240 study subjects divided into four groups- only tobacco smokers (G1), only smokeless tobacco users (G2), dual tobacco smokers and smokeless tobacco users (G3), and tobacco non-users (G4). G2 was divided into G2a, G2b, and G2c. Serum CTN levels were estimated using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) kit. Chi-square test, unpaired t-test, ANOVA and regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The mean serum CTN levels in groups G1, G2a, G2b, G2c, G3 and G4 were found to be 117.45 ng/mL, 138.09 ng/mL, 72.35 ng/mL, 100.34 ng/mL, 145.21 ng/mL and 5.28 ng/mL respectively. When the mean values were compared between the groups the values were found to be statistically highly significant. The finding suggests significantly higher CTN levels in tobacco users compared with tobacco non-users, also in tobacco chewers compared with tobacco smokers, as well as for dual tobacco smokers and smokeless tobacco users compared with smokers.
Conclusion: Dual tobacco smokers and smokeless tobacco users tend to have relatively high level of serum CTN, which suggests tobacco dependence.