• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 1997

This study was conducted to evaluate the personal effects of tobacco smoke and environmental tobacco smoke(ETS) by measuring the concentration of nicotine and cotinine in the urine. While 129 urine samples were being collected, Personal characteristics such as sex, age, number of years since a Person has been a smoker, average consumption number of cigarettes per day, and number of smoker in family were also surveyed. Collected urine samples were used for analysis of nicotine and cotinine by GC/NPD after Passing the extrelut column. In the urine of the smoker, the average contents of nicotine and cotinine were 5.38$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and 3.14 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, respectively. The average contents of nicotine and cotinine were 0.18$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and 0.07$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in the urine of male non-smoker, respectively. The contents of nicotine and cotinine in the non-smoker's urine were dependent on sex and age. On the other hand, the contents of nicotine and cotinine in smoker's urine were dependent on average consumption amount of cigarettes per day. Also, there was a direct relation between nicotine levels in the smoker's urine and the average consumption number of cigarettes Per day of smoker. The Possible sources of nicotine and cotinine in the non-smoker's urine seemed to be caused by food, beverage and En, Our results indicate that the number of smoker in family had no effect on increasing nicotine and cotinine contents in the urine of non-smoker.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.4
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• pp.210-218
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• 2012

Background: The level of urine cotinine is an indicator of tobacco smoke exposure. The purpose of this study is to investigate urine cotinine for the purpose of assessing the smoking status of Korean smokers and non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke. Methods: The subjects were identified from the 2007-2009 and the 2010 data sets of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). They were assigned as non-smokers, current smokers and ex-smokers. Non-smokers were also divided into three subset groups according to the duration of smoke exposure. Each group was stratified by gender prior to analysis. Results: The median value of urine cotinine in the male current smokers was 1,221.93 ng/mL which was the highest among all groups. The difference between levels of urine cotinine for male and the female groups was statistically significant (p<0.01). In the female group, passive smoke exposure groups reported higher urine cotinine levels than non-exposure groups (p=0.01). The cutoff point for the discrimination of current smokers from non-smokers was 95.6 ng/mL in males and 96.8 ng/mL in females. The sensitivity and specificity were 95.2% and 97.1%, respectively, in males, 96.1% and 96.5% in females. However, the determination of urine cotinine level was not useful in distinguishing between passive smoke exposure groups and non-exposure groups. Conclusion: Urine cotinine concentration is a useful biomarker for discriminating non-smokers from current smokers. However, careful interpretation is necessary for assessing passive smoke exposure by urine cotinine concentration.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.45-53
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• 2011

Background: Increasing numbers of young people go to clubs. In Korea, however, no studies have been conducted regarding the exposure of club patrons to secondhand smoke. The present study was conducted to evaluate the degree of club customers' exposure to secondhand smoke. Methods: The study subjects included 10 male and 12 female non-smokers. The investigational site was a club located in Daegu. Urine samples were collected before exposure to secondhand smoke in the club and 6 hours after a 3-hour exposure. The urine cotinine levels were measured via the LC -MS/MS method. A survey was conducted to collect data regarding the subjects' smoking experiences and the degree of exposure to secondhand smoke in their daily lives. Results: The average urine cotinine level increased from 1.09 ${\mu}g/L$ to 5.55 ${\mu}g/L$ ($p$<0.05). No significant difference existed in the change in urine cotinine level between the male and female subjects. In addition, there was no significant difference in the change in urine cotinine level by the degree of exposure to secondhand smoke in daily life. Conclusions: The average urine cotinine level in all the subjects significantly increased after exposure to secondhand smoke. This is the first study on exposure to secondhand smoke in clubs; these results can be used to craft measures that reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in public places, such as clubs.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.505-512
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• 2020

Background: In monitoring exposure to environmental smoke (ETS), biomarkers can overcome the subjectivity and inaccuracy of self-reporting measurements, and have the advantage of reflecting ETS exposure in all places. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ETS exposure measurement using biomarkers such as urine cotinine. Methods: This study used the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey data from 2009 to 2018. A total of 28,574 non-smokers with urine cotinine data were selected for the study. The cotinine concentration and ETS exposure rate using urine cotinine was estimated and then compared with the self-reporting measurements. The degree of agreement among measurements of ETS exposure was confirmed. Results: As a result of measuring ETS exposure with urine cotinine, 23,594 (83.8%) out of 28,574 subjects were classified as to exposure groups. This estimate differs significantly from measurements made by self-reporting. In addition, the average concentration of cotinine in non-smokers has decreased to a 10th level over the past 10 years. Based on the biomarker, the sensitivity of the self-reporting was 8.5%-29.0%, the specificity was 16.4%-19.5%, and the kappa value was 2.0%-5.8%. Conclusion: The findings of our study show that self-reporting measurement does not well reflect the extent to which non-smoker's exposure to smoking materials. Whereas cotinine concentration has decreased significantly over the past 10 years, the ETS exposure rate has not reduced. It strongly suggests the need for intervention in the group of non-smokers exposed to low concentrations of smoke. Therefore, an assessment using biomarkers such as cotinine-based measurement should be made in the Health Plan 2030.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.181-188
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• 2001

A gas chromatographic method was established for the simultaneous determination of urinary nicotine and cotinine. The analytes in basified urine containing a sufficient amount of Na$_2$S0$_4$were extracted into dichloromethane by vigorous shaking. Into the transferred organic phase was added a small amount of acidified methanol (0.5 N HCI in methanol), followed by concentrating the mixture to dryness using a mild stream of nitrogen gas. The concentrate was reconstituted with methanol and the final solution analyzed using the gas chromatograph equipped with the nitrogen-phosphorus detector. The reproducibility tests showed coefficients of variation less than 11％ for both compounds. The percent recovery for both analytes ranged from 88 to 103％. The estimated method detection limits for nicotine and cotinine were 0.60 and 5.1 ng/mL, respectively. Extraction efficiencies for both nicotine and cotinine apparently declined without the addition of Na$_2$S0$_4$into the urine. Moreover, the absence of methanolic HCI in the extract resulted in almost complete evaporation of nicotine and partial loss of cotinine during the concentration process, indicating that the formation of nicotine-HCI and cotinine-HCI species is prerequisite to the suppression of the loss of both compounds.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1997

We identified nicotine, cotinine and toluene in high school volunteer's urine by using GC/NPD, GC/FID and GC/MS. To analyze of nicotine and cotinine, urine samples were extracted with diethylether and centrifuged on a benchtop centrifuge for 5 min. The upper organic layer was injected into a GC. The distributions of nicotine and cotinine were $4{\sim}630{\mu}g/L$ and $63{\sim}1,602{\mu}g/L$ in smoking-group, respectively. To analyze of toluene, head space vial was filled with 2mL sodium citrate solution and 1mL of urine. The vial was warmed in a water bath at $55^{\circ}C$ for 20min, and then $250{\mu}L$ of head space air was injected into a GC. The result show that toluene was not detected in all of the volunteers' samples. However, the range of toluene was 0.1~28.0mg/L in glue sniffer's urine samples(NISI data).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.223-230
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was conducted to validate self-reported smoking among high school students using urinary cotinine. Methods : A self report of smoking behavior was collected together with urine sample for cotinine analysis from 130 male and female students in two vocational high school students in November, 2007. Validity and agreement between self-reported smoking and urinary cotinine was analyzed with STATA 9.0 for different definitions of current smokers, and frequent and daily smokers. Urinary cotinine concentration was measured by the DRI Cotinine Assay for urine (Microgenics Corp., Fremont, CA) on Toshiba 200FR. The cut-off point of urinary cotinine was 50 ng/dl. Results : The concentrations of urinary cotinine were significantly different according to the frequency and amount of smoking. Sensitivity and specificity was 90.9% and 91.8% respectively, and the Cohen s kappa value was 0.787 among the current smokers who smoked at least one day during one month preceding the survey. The comparable high sensitivity, specificity, and kappa value were shown also among the other definitions of current smokers, that is, subjective smokers, and weekly smokers. Conclusions : The results showed the high validity of self-reported smoking among high school students. However, due to the small sample size and limitation of the participants, it is cautious to generalize the results to overall high school students.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 2001

This study was conducted to determine the urinary nicotine and cotinine concentration in 126 smokers and 143 nonsmokers. While urine samples were being collected, personal characteristics related to smoking habit such as sex, age, number of years since a person has been a smoker, average number of cigarettes consumed per day, and number of smokers in the family were surveyed. Urinary nicotine and cotinine concentration were analyzed by GC/NPD. The smokers smoked an average 17.0 cigarettes per day and the average concentration of nicotine and cotinine was 3.88 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and 3.64 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, respectively. The average number of smokers in the family was 0.72 persons and the average concentration of nicotine and cotinine were 0.11 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and 0.02 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml in the urine of non-smokers, respectively. The concentration of nicotine and cotnine in smoker\`s urine was dependent on the number of cigarettes smoked per day(p<0.01). The number of years since a person had been a smoker, and the number of smokers in the family were not associated with the concentration of nicotine and cotinine. Also there was no significant effects of passive smoking on the family of smokers by the level of nicotine and cotinine concentration. We describe the relationship between smoking habit as assessed by urinary nicotine and cotinine excretion. This study provides an evidence for the assessment of active and passive exposure to tobacco smoke.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.225-231
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• 2004

Objectives : This study was performed to examine the influence of smoking on the blood cadmium concentration in university students. Methods : The study included 300 university students. A questionnaire interview was used to collect data. The urine cotinine and blood cadmium levels were measured as biological exposure indices. The data were analyzed using t-tests ANOVA and ANCOVA. Results : The median value of blood cadmium concentration was equal in both males and females ($0.8{\mu}g/l$). This level was relatively low in comparison with the reference value suggested by WHO (2001). ANCOVA showed that smoking related variables, urine cotinine and smoking amount, were significantly associated with the blood cadmium level (P=0.004, 0.015). However, the values with regard to traffic related air pollution were not significantly associated with the blood cadmium level. Conclusions : Smoking is an important source of nonoccupational cadmium exposure in young people. The Blood cadmium level is at least 10% higher in active smokers than in passive or nonsmokers. The level of urine cotinine can be used as an indicator of non-occupational exposure of respirable cadmium due to smoking, as there is a good correlation bestween smoking amount and the urine cotinine level.

• Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.242-249
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• 2018

Objectives. Smoking is associated with hearing loss, while the correlation between tinnitus and smoking is not fully elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate risk factors of tinnitus in adolescents in terms of smoking, and we identified a rectifiable parameter that can be serially monitored. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with 2,782 participants aged 12 to 18 years, from 2008 through 2011. Participants with history of ear disease, hearing loss, and inadequate responses to questionnaires were excluded. We investigated the prevalence of tinnitus and tinnitus-related annoyance by questionnaire and sought potential risk factors in blood and urine tests and smoking history. Results. The prevalence of tinnitus in the 12- to 18-year-old population was 17.5%, with 3.3% reporting tinnitus-related annoyance. On univariate analysis, the prevalence of tinnitus increased with age (P<0.001) and was higher among girls (P=0.012). Blood tests and urinalysis showed significant correlation between tinnitus and red blood cell count, alkaline phosphatase levels, and urine cotinine (P=0.002, P<0.001, P=0.018, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the urine cotinine level was the only parameter associated with tinnitus (odds ratio, 1.000; 95% confidence interval, 0.999 to 1.000; P=0.038). Smoking was also significantly correlated with tinnitus (P=0.043), and amount of smoking with tinnitus-related annoyance (P=0.045). However, current smoking and past smoking were not correlated with tinnitus. Conclusion. Urine cotinine may be a rectifiable marker for management of tinnitus in adolescents. This suggests that smoking cessation should be incorporated in the management of tinnitus in adolescents.