Effect of cigarette smoking on plasma uric acid concentrations

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cigarette smoking on plasma uric acid concentration and to determine the correlation between this parameter and the biological tobacco markers, plasma thiocyanate and urinary cotinine. Methods The initial study was conducted on 300 subjects; 138 of them were nonsmokers (62 men and 76 women) aged 14-72 years and 162 were current smokers (145 men and 17 women) aged 16-85 years. Uric acid, creatinine, and urinary cotinine were determined by the enzymatic colorimetric method and plasma thiocyanate by selective electrode. Results Plasma uric acid concentration was significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. A statistically significant negative correlation was noted between the smoking status parameters, including both the number of cigarettes smoked/day (F 3-161 = 12.063; r = -0.9968; p = 0.0001) and the duration of smoking (F 3-161 = 1.305; r = -0.9406; p = 0.0274), and the plasma uric acid. Among smokers, we noted a negative correlation between uric acid and both plasma thiocyanates (r = -0.437; p \ 0.05) and urinary cotinine (r = -0.580; p \ 0.05). Conclusion After excluding the other factors affecting the uric acid levels, the significant low plasma uric acid in smokers was attributed to a reduction of the endogenous production as a result of the chronic exposure to cigarette smoke that is a significant source of oxidative stress. Therefore, it is recommended to stop or reduce smoking and to introduce plasma uric acid estimation as a routine test, since it is cheap and simple to reflect the antioxidant level.

Association of Uric Acid Levels with Arterial Stiffness in Korean Women and Non-smoking Men

“…In this study, we analyzed that the current smokers were divided into two groups (mild and heavy). Several other studies also reported a significant negative correlation between serum uric acid level and the smoking status including the average number of cigarettes smoked per day and the smoking duration (Haj Mouhamed et al, 2011;Slater et al, 1985). In the present study, we also used pack-years as a chronic parameter.…”

“…Some studies reported a significant negative correlation between serum uric acid level and the smoking status (Haj Mouhamed et al, 2011;Slater et al, 1985). Obesity factor which can be assessed by waist circumference (WC) is also positively associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events and diastolic dysfunction (Czernichow et al, 2005).…”

Genes associated with metabolic syndrome and hyperuricemia: An overview

“…Although conventional factors, including age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking, contribute greatly to variations in SUA concentrations [27], genetic determinants also play roles, and heritability as high as 42% have been reported [28]. Moreover, genetic studies facilitate the development of effective treatments for associated diseases.…”

Genetic variation in WDR1 is associated with gout risk and gout-related metabolic indices in the Han Chinese population

“…In the majority of gout patients, hyperuricemia occurs as a result of overproduction of uric acid (UA) or impaired excretion of renal UA (Terkeltaub et al, 2006). Previous studies have indicated that conventional risk factors including age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, and alcohol intake can influence serum UA concentration (Heinig and Johnson, 2006;Brandstätter et al, 2008;Haj Mouhamed et al, 2011). Moreover, serum UA levels are also determined by genetic factors, with heritability ranging from 25 to 63% (Yang et al, 2005;Doherty, 2009).…”