Smoking habit and excretion profile of urinary mercapturic acids : comparison between tobacco and electronic cigarette

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco smoke contains about 4000 chemicals, several of which are carcinogens to humans. The content of electronic cigarette (e-cig) smoke is less known. Upon absorption, the inhaled compounds undergo biotransformation to electrophilic intermediates, believed to be active species, able to react with DNA, and are eliminated in urine as mercapturic acids (MA). Aim of this work was to assess exposure to toxicants in tobacco smokers, e-cig smokers and non-smokers using the MA profile. METHODS: Sixty-seven individuals, of which 22 tobacco smokers (S), 7 e-cig smokers (e-S) and 38 non-smokers (NS) were studied. Eighteen urinary MA from acrolein (3-HPMA), acrylamide (AAMA, GAMA), acrylonitrile (CEMA, HEMA), benzene (SPMA), 1,3-butadiene (DHBMA, MHBMA), crotonaldehyde (CMEMA, HMPMA), 4-chloronitrobenzene (NANPC), N,N-dimethylformamide (AMCC), ethylene oxide (HEMA), propylene oxide (2-HPMA), styrene (PHEMA1 e 2), toluene (SBMA), methylating (MMA) and ethylating agents (EMA), were measured by LC-MS/MS. RESULTS: Median MA levels ranged from