Variation in levels of the lung carcinogen NNAL and its glucuronides in the urine of cigarette smokers from five ethnic groups with differing risks for lung cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Results of the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) study demonstrated that, for the same quantity of cigarettes smoked, African Americans and Native Hawaiians have a higher risk of lung cancer compared with whites, whereas Latinos and Japanese Americans have a lower risk. We hypothesize that the uptake and/or metabolism of the lung carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) could explain the differences in lung cancer risk.

Methods

We measured urinary 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) and its glucuronides and their sum (total NNAL), biomarkers of NNK uptake, in 2,252 smokers from the MEC. Ethnic-specific geometric means were compared adjusting for age at urine collection, sex, creatinine and total nicotine equivalents, a marker of tota

SUBMITTER: Park SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4355389 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature