Assessment of smoking status based on cotinine levels in nasal lavage fluid

Evaluation of oral mechanical and gustatory sensitivities and salivary cotinine levels in adult smokers

Objective: The aim was to examine oral mechanical and gustatory sensitivities in adult smokers and to estimate salivary levels of cotinine by tobacco consumption. A total of 54 adults (20-45 years old; 28 males/26 females) were divided into two sex-paired groups: smoker group (n = 27), tobacco consumers with no other chronic disease/use of chronic medication, and a control non-smoker non-exposed group with similar age (n = 27).Materials and Methods: 24 h-Recall was used to gather information about tobacco consumption, date of onset and duration of the habit. Oral mechanical evaluation comprised touch detection threshold (MDT) of upper and lower lips and tongue tip and two-point discrimination (TPD) assessments. Taste sensitivities for sweet, salty, sour and bitter were evaluated in four concentrations. Salivary cotinine was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Statistical analysis comprised Mann-Whitney, Two-way ANOVA test and regression analysis.Results: The mean smoking time was 13.6 years (mean 8.4 mg/day; 13 cigarettes/day). A sex-effect was observed on MDT of tongue tip (higher sensitivity in females), while group-effect was observed on TPD of lower lip, showing a smaller sensitivity among smokers (p < .05; moderate effect: Eta partial2 = 0.076). Although the total score of gustatory sensitivity did not differ between groups, smokers exhibited an irregular pattern of correctly identified tastants among the different concentrations of salty, sour and bitter. The predictive model showed that salivary cotinine was dependent on "nicotine consumption on the day before" (R2 = 49%).Conclusion: A difference in tactile sensitivity of the lower lip and qualitative changes in taste sensitivity were observed in smokers.

Total serum bilirubin levels and sensorineural hearing loss in the US adolescents: NHANES 2007-2010

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate whether current levels of total serum bilirubin are associated with different subtypes of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in adolescents.

METHODS

A set of cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2007-2010) was used. A subset of 1404 adolescents was sampled for measurements of total serum bilirubin, tympanometry, and average pure tone threshold at low-frequencies (LPTA: 500, 1000, 2000 Hz) or high-frequencies (HPTA: 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz). SNHL was defined as the hearing loss that had type A tympanograms with a peak admittance of 0.3 ml or greater. Associations between serum bilirubin (square-root transformed) and different subtypes of SNHL were evaluated using binary or multinomial logistic regression models with 4-year sampling weights. The bootstrap method was used for estimation of variance and 10-fold cross-validation for assessment of overfitting issue.

RESULTS

Total serum bilirubin levels were found to be associated with any high-frequency (HPTA>15 dB in at least one ear, adjusted odds-ratio (OR_a)(bootstrap 95% confidence interval) = 3.29(1.31-8.19), p = 0.011), but not with any low-frequency (LPTA>15 dB in at least one ear), SNHL in the US adolescents. Furthermore, high-frequency SNHL with HPTA>15 dB in both ears (bilateral) or HPTA≥25 dB in at least one ear, compared to that with HPTA>15 dB in one ear only (unilateral) or HPTA = 15-25 dB in at least one ear, had a stronger association with total serum bilirubin levels (OR_a = 5.37(1.27-22.65), p = 0.022 for bilateral; OR_a = 2.64(0.84-8.25), p = 0.094 for unilateral; OR_a = 5.00(0.95-26.58), p = 0.058 for HPTA≥25 dB in at least one ear; as well as OR_a = 3.06(1.15-8.25), p = 0.025 for HPTA = 15-25 dB in at least one ear). No severe overfitting problems were found.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that current levels of total serum bilirubin may be informative in predicting and/or targeting high-frequency SNHL in the US adolescents.

Biomarkers of exposure to new and emerging tobacco delivery products

Accurate and reliable measurements of exposure to tobacco products are essential for identifying and confirming patterns of tobacco product use and for assessing their potential biological effects in both human populations and experimental systems. Due to the introduction of new tobacco-derived products and the development of novel ways to modify and use conventional tobacco products, precise and specific assessments of exposure to tobacco are now more important than ever. Biomarkers that were developed and validated to measure exposure to cigarettes are being evaluated to assess their use for measuring exposure to these new products. Here, we review current methods for measuring exposure to new and emerging tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes, little cigars, water pipes, and cigarillos. Rigorously validated biomarkers specific to these new products have not yet been identified. Here, we discuss the strengths and limitations of current approaches, including whether they provide reliable exposure estimates for new and emerging products. We provide specific guidance for choosing practical and economical biomarkers for different study designs and experimental conditions. Our goal is to help both new and experienced investigators measure exposure to tobacco products accurately and avoid common experimental errors. With the identification of the capacity gaps in biomarker research on new and emerging tobacco products, we hope to provide researchers, policymakers, and funding agencies with a clear action plan for conducting and promoting research on the patterns of use and health effects of these products.