Zila Rubab, Ataur Rahman.
Role of nicotine, cotinine and thiocyanate in cigarette smoking: (active and passive).
Med Channel Jan ;12(2):7-11.

The studies have been continuously carried out on serum nicotine, cotinine and thiocyanate but Pakistan is still deficient of such studies. Tobacco use is very common in Pakistan and about 34% of men and 12.5% of women use some form of tobacco on a regular basis. In addition to cigarettes, tobacco is smoked in unique local ways, which include "Bidi" (tobacco rolled in dryes) and huqqa (Hubble-Bubble). Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals including 43 that are known to cause cancer. Active smoking can cause respiratory disorders, cardiovascular hazards, cerebral and peripheral vascular diseases and cancers. Passive smoking also increases risk for higher and lower respiratory tract illness, ischemic heart diseases and lung cancer. The hazards of passive smoking have yet to be clearly understood so biochemical measurements of appropriate markers are particularly valuable in assessing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke because individuals may differ in their awareness of the extent and duration of such exposures. Markers of exposure to cigarette smoke include thiocyanate ions, nicotine and cotinine, which is a primary metabolite of nicotine. Nicotine, the most tobacco specific component of cigarette smoke responsible for tobacco addiction and can be measured in both active and passive smokers. At present, cotinine is generally regarded as the best marker for monitoring tobacco exposure in either actively or passively exposed individuals. Thiocyanate is a major metabolic product of hydrocyanic acid. Three fold higher concentration of thiocyanate is found in the sera, urine and saliva of smokers as compared to non-smokers; because of cyanide provided by cigarette smoke. This is an Editorial.

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