Mass spectrometric analysis of tobacco-specific hemoglobin adducts

Hemoglobin adducts of the common metabolite of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA) 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (HPB) and of 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) were quantified in blood samples from smokers and nonsmokers to test their suitability for biomonitoring tobacco smoke exposure. Additionally, TSNA adducts were measured in nasal snuff users. Mild alkaline treatment of hemoglobin releases 4-ABP and HPB, which were analyzed in parallel by capillary gas chromatography with electronic impact or negative ion chemical-ionization mass spectrometry (EI- or NICI-GC-MS). Samples of snuff users showed high levels of HPB adducts not correlated with the amount or type of snuff used. HPB concentrations in smokers and nonsmokers, however, were much lower, with no group-specific differences detectable. In contrast, 4-ABP adduct levels were much higher in smokers than in nonsmokers, confirming the significant difference between these two groups reported by others.