Acetonitrile as a possible marker of current cigarette smoking

Abstract

Volatile nitriles are present in cigarette smoke. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of any of four nitriles in the blood can serve as a marker of recent cigarette smoking. We determined the sensitivity and specificity of these nitriles as indicators of daily cigarette smoking in 24 smokers (Group A) and 18 non-smokers (Group B), as well as the correlation between intensity of daily smoking and the blood concentration of acetonitrile. A new head space GLC assay method was used. Of the four nitriles, only acetonitrile was present in the blood of any study subject. Acetonitrile was moderately sensitive (67%) and entirely specific (100%) for self-reported daily smoking. There was fair correlation between blood acetonitrile concentration and the average daily number of cigarettes smoked (r²=0.39; P=0.001), and the mean blood acetonitrile concentration was significantly higher (P=0.03) among subjects with higher ( > 10 cigarettes per day) current cigarette exposure (148.3 ± 18.0 ?g/l) than among smokers with low or minimal (1-10 cigarettes per day) exposure (43.3 ± 6.0 ?g/l). Thus, acetonitrile in blood appears to be highly specific and a moderately sensitive marker of cigarette smoking with a dose-effect relationship. As such, acetonitrile shows promise as a marker of current cigarette exposure.

Keywords

cigarette smoking exposure blood acetonitrile biomarker

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Jacob N. , Bruckert E. Les marqueurs du tabagisme. Sang Thrombose Vaisseaux 1991; 3: 295-301.

Roussel G. Fonctionnement d'une consultation antitabagique . Biologiste et Praticien 1991; 86: 1-16.

Schmeltz I. , Hoffmann D. Nitrogen-containing compounds in tobacco and tobacco smoke. Chemical Reviews 1977; 77: 295-311.

Dalhamn T. , Edjors ML , Rylander R.

Mouth absorption of various compounds in cigarette smoke. Archives of

Environmental Health 1966; 16: 831-835.

Costa S. Nitriles. Detection et dosage dans le sang. Etude préliminaire chez les victimes d'incendie. Thèse de Pharmacie. Université Paris V. 1990.

Amdur ML , Buffalo MD Accidental group exposure to acetonitrile. A clinical study. Journal of Occupational Medicine 1959; 1: 627-633.

Dequidt J. , Furon D. , Haguenoer JM A propos d'une intoxication mortelle par l'acétonitrile. Bulletin de la Société Pharmaceutique Lille 1972; 4: 143-148.

Caraveti EM , Liovitz TL Pediatric cyanide intoxication and death from an acetonitrile containing cosmetic . Journal of American Medicine Association 1988; 23: 3470-3473.

Michaelis HC et al. Acetonitrile serum concentrations and blood levels in a case of suicidal oral acetonitrile ingestion. Clinical Toxicology 1991; 29: 447-458.