Specific biomarker comparison in current smokers, e-cigarette users, and non-smokers

Area of Science:

• Biomarkers of exposure
• Tobacco and nicotine product research
• Analytical chemistry

Background:

• Existing literature lacks comprehensive comparisons of biomarkers across diverse tobacco and e-cigarette use patterns.
• Understanding biomarker levels is crucial for assessing potential health effects of novel nicotine products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare tobacco-specific biomarkers (cotinine, nitrosamines) and e-cigarette biomarkers (humectants) across five distinct user groups: smokers, non-smokers, dual users, and exclusive e-cigarette users (with and without nicotine).

Main Methods:

• A pooled analysis of two studies involved saliva sample collection from 794 participants across five groups.
• Geometric means and standard deviations of biomarker concentrations were analyzed.
• Log-linear models adjusted for age and sex were used to compare biomarker levels.

Main Results:

• Cotinine and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) were significantly higher in nicotine consumers and e-cigarette users compared to non-smokers.
• NNN and NNAL were lower in e-cigarette users with nicotine versus smokers, but NNN was higher in e-cigarette users without nicotine versus non-smokers.
• No significant differences in humectant biomarkers were observed between e-cigarette user groups.

Conclusions:

• Exclusive e-cigarette use was associated with reduced TSNAs and cotinine compared to smoking.
• However, biomarker levels in exclusive e-cigarette users remained elevated compared to non-smokers, indicating potential health risks.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the long-term health implications of e-cigarette use.