Hair nicotine is a known biomarker for monitoring long-term environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and smoking status. In general, hair nicotine assay involves alkaline digestion, extraction and instrumental analysis. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) assay currently developed has shown to be of high throughput with average approximately 100 hair samples being extracted and analyzed per day. This was achieved through simplified extraction procedure and shortened GC analysis time. The extraction was improved by using small volume (0.4 mL) of organic solvent that does not require further evaporation and salting steps prior to GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the amount of hair utilized in the extraction was very little (5 mg) while the sensitivity and selectivity of the assay is equal, if not better than other established methods. The linearity of the assay (r(2)>0.995), limit of quantitation (0.04 ng/mg hair), within- and between-assays accuracies and precisions (<11.4%) and mean recovery (92.6%) were within the acceptable range.
OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to determine parental and children's hair nicotine levels, their relationships as well as to investigate the association of smoking status of the fathers with mothers' and children's hair nicotine.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was conducted among 124 families who were participants of the Universiti Sains Malaysia Pregnancy Cohort Study. Both parents with their 2 years old children joined this study. A total of 92 hair samples of fathers, 124 hair samples of mothers and 111 hair samples of children were collected and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
RESULTS: Of total, 52.4 % of the fathers reported smoking. None of the mothers were smokers. Hair nicotine levels of fathers were found to be significantly correlated with mothers (r = 0.233, p = 0.026) and children (r = 0.508, p
This study aimed to examine the associations among prenatal nicotine exposure, oxidative stress, and postpartum visceral fat among women exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). The study was conducted in Kelantan, Malaysia, from April 2010 to December 2012. Blood samples were collected in the second and third trimesters from 135 healthy pregnant women who were followed-up at delivery, 2 months, 6 months and 12 months postpartum. Maternal hair nicotine and oxidative stress markers during pregnancy were measured. Visceral fat was assessed by bioelectrical impedance. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that maternal hair nicotine concentration was associated with increased DNA damage (tail moment: β=0.580, p=0.001) and decreased glutathione peroxidase (β=-12.100; p=0.009) in the second trimester of pregnancy. Increased DNA damage, protein oxidation and total antioxidant capacity in the second trimester were associated with 2, 6, and 12 months postpartum visceral fat. No direct association was found between prenatal hair nicotine level and postpartum visceral fat; however, these results suggest that any relation of SHS to visceral adiposity may be indirect, mediated via enhanced oxidative stress.