Tobacco‐specific N‐nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in cigarettes smoked by the participants of the Shanghai Cohort Study

Abstract

Our recent studies on tobacco smoke carcinogen and toxicant biomarkers and cancer risk among male smokers in the Shanghai Cohort Study showed that exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is prospectively associated with the risk of cancer. These findings support the hypothesis that the smokers’ cancer risk is a function of the dose of select tobacco carcinogens and highlight the importance of understanding the factors that affect the intake of these carcinogens by smokers. Given that tobacco constituent exposures are driven, at least in part, by the levels of these constituents in cigarette smoke, we measured mainstream smoke TSNA and PAH levels in 43 Chinese cigarette brands that participants of the Shanghai Cohort Study reported to smoke. In all brands analyzed here, mainstream smoke levels of NNN and NNK, the two carcinogenic TSNA, were generally relatively low, averaging (±SD) 16.8(±25.1) and 14.2(±9.5) ng/cigarette, respectively. The levels of PAH were comparable to those found in U.S. cigarettes, averaging 15(±9) ng/cigarette for benzo[a]pyrene, 119(±66) ng/cigarette for phenanthrene, and 37(±19) ng/cigarette for pyrene. Our findings indicate that the generally low levels of NNN and NNK are most likely responsible for the relatively low levels of the corresponding biomarkers in the urine of the Shanghai Cohort Study participants as compared to those found in the U.S. smokers, supporting the role of the levels of these constituents in cigarette smoke in smokers’ exposures. Our findings also suggest that, in addition to smoking, other sources contribute to Chinese smokers’ exposure to PAH.

Epidemiology of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are thought to be the major carcinogenic substances in tobacco. The Shanghai Cohort Study revealed that Chinese smokers were exposed to less TSNA compared with U.S. smokers 31 . But these investigators also reported that the urinary concentration of N'-nitrosonornicotine was very strongly linked to ESCC risk and inferred that this may the causative agent in these tobacco smokers 32 .…”

Clinical Profile of Male Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan, Indonesia

“…Cigarette smoke will produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs), which can affect the histopathological features of cancer cells. PAHs are carcinogens that can induce lung cancer squamous cell carcinoma type, whereas TSNAs can induce lung cancer adenocarcinoma type [11].…”

Unraveling mechanisms of toxicant-induced oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease

“…Certainly, CS contains a variety of bioactive organics that can contribute to direct vascular injury. For example, CS is a rich source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) [58] and also, acrolein, a reactive, unsaturated aldehyde that forms adducts to protein thiols [59]. Moreover, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity in the serum of otherwise healthy cigarette smokers was shown elevated compared to age-matched non-smokers [56].…”