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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Methods to Evaluate Cytotoxicity and Immunosuppression of Combustible Tobacco Product Preparations
Published on: January 10, 2015
Tobacco smoking increases dramatically air concentrations of endotoxin
L Larsson1, B Szponar, C Pehrson
1Department of Medical Microbiology, Dermatology and Infection, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. lennart.larsson@mmb.lu.se
Unlabelled:
We used a mass spectrometry-based assay for identifying the endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) marker (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid in cigarette smoke particles and found that smoking involved inhalation of 17.4 pmol of endotoxin per each smoked cigarette. Indoor exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) entailed inhalation of 12.1 pmol of LPS/m3 air, an amount that was 120 times higher than the levels found in smoke-free indoor air. Endotoxin is one of the most potent inflammatory agents known, hence our results may help to explain the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers, and they may also draw attention to a hitherto unknown or neglected risk factor of ETS.
Practical Implications:
Endotoxin represents a largely neglected risk factor of smoking and passive smoking and this knowledge may lead to a reduced smoking.
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