Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Sep 1:190:89-93.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.06.003. Epub 2018 Jul 4.

Nicotine metabolite ratio predicts smoking topography: The Pennsylvania Adult Smoking Study

Allshine Chen  1 , Nicolle M Krebs  1 , Junjia Zhu  1 , Joshua E Muscat  2
Affiliations

Nicotine metabolite ratio predicts smoking topography: The Pennsylvania Adult Smoking Study

Allshine Chen et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. .

Abstract

Background: The nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR) as measured by the ratio of 3'hydroxycotinine to cotinine has been examined in relation to tobacco use patterns including cigarettes per day and quit success to determine its role in nicotine dependence. We examined the NMR in relation to smoking topography and tested the hypothesis that normal metabolizers have a greater total daily puff volume than slow metabolizers.

Methods: The Pennsylvania Adult Smoking Study (PASS) is a longitudinal study of 352 adults who smoked, on average, 17 cigarettes per day. Subjects used a portable smoking topography device over a two-day period at home and at work. We measured the ratio of 3'hydroxycotinine to cotinine in the saliva of the subjects.

Results: In multiple linear regression analyses, a higher rate of nicotine metabolism was significantly associated with increased daily puffs and total daily puff volume. In a mediation analysis, a significant, indirect effect of race on the relationship between NMR and puff volume was observed, with 22% of the effect mediated by white race. A higher NMR was also associated with female gender, white race, cigarettes per day and nicotine dependence measures.

Conclusion: The NMR was associated with tobacco use patterns including smoking topography. Faster nicotine metabolism was associated with greater total daily puffs and puff volume.

Keywords: Cotinine; Dependence; Nicotine metabolism; Nicotine metabolite ratio; Smoking; Smoking topography.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

No conflicts declared.

References

    1. Baron RM, Kenny DA, 1986. The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol 51, 1173–1182. - PubMed
    1. Benowitz NL, Pomerleau OF, Pomerleau CS, Jacob P 3rd, 2003. Nicotine metabolite ratio as a predictor of cigarette consumption. Nicotine Tob. Res 5, 621–624. - PubMed
    1. Benowitz NL, Lessov-Schlaggar CN, Swan GE, Jacob P III, 2006. Female sex and oral contraceptive use accelerate nicotine metabolism. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther 79, 480–488. - PubMed
    1. Blank MD, Disharoon S, Eissenberg T, 2009. Comparison of methods for measurement of smoking behavior: mouthpiece-based computerized devices versus direct observation. Nicotine Tob. Res 11, 896–903. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chapman S, Haddad S, Sindhusake D, 1997. Do work-place smoking bans cause smokers to smoke “harder”? Results from a naturalistic observational study. Addiction 92, 607–610. - PubMed

Publication types