The effect of childhood exposure to secondhand smoke on urinary cotinine and 8 hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine levels: A cross-sectional study.
4 affiliations
- 1Health Sciences University, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Medical Biochemistry Laboratory, Istanbul, Turkey.
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Chest Diseases Department, Istanbul Okan University, Istanbul, Turkey.
- 3Department of Internal Medicine, Health Sciences University Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
- 4Department of Pediatrics, Health Sciences University, Sancaktepe Şehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Abstract
Introduction
The health consequences of exposure to tobacco smoke during childhood can be more severe than those associated with exposure in adulthood. Exposure to secondhand smoke is also a significant issue for children, who constitute a vulnerable group. While urinary cotinine measurements serve as metabolic indicators of nicotine exposure, measurements of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) reflect DNA damage. This study evaluates the results of urine analysis obtained from healthy children, classified according to household smoking status.Methods
In this cross-sectional study, urinary cotinine and 8-OHdG levels of a total of 97 children living in smoke-free homes, where only one adult smoked, and more than one adult used tobacco, were analyzed as a ratio to creatinine using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Families of children visiting the pediatric outpatient clinic for routine examinations were categorized based on their smoking habits. Additionally, a questionnaire using the Beliefs About Third-Hand Smoke (BATHS) scale was administered to these parents to evaluate their attitudes and beliefs regarding smoking.Results
Urinary cotinine/creatinine levels were determined as 35.6 ± 5.17 pg/mg creatinine in the non-smokers (NS) group, 57.35 ± 4.84 pg/mg creatinine in the one person smoked (OPS) group, and 89.2 ± 5.3 pg/mg creatinine in the multiple people smoked (MPS) group. A statistically significant difference was found among all three groups (p<0.001). Urinary 8-OHdG levels differed significantly between the NS group and the other groups. However, no statistically significant difference was found when comparing the smoking OPS and MPS groups (p>0.05). Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between these two parameters and the BATHS score.Conclusions
Our study has shown that biomarker levels considered indicators of childhood secondhand smoke exposure may be associated with factors such as the number of smokers in the home. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the attitudes and beliefs of parents and household members regarding smoking may also be linked to the intensity of exposure.
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BibTeX
@article{fırat2026effect,
title = {{The effect of childhood exposure to secondhand smoke on urinary cotinine and 8 hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine levels: A cross-sectional study.}},
author = {Asuman Akkaya Fırat and İlkay Keskinel and Müzeyyen Eryılmaz and Haluk Kılıç and Şirin Güven},
journal = {Tobacco induced diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.18332/tid/240349},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921500},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The effect of childhood exposure to secondhand smoke on urinary cotinine and 8 hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine levels: A cross-sectional study.
AU - Asuman Akkaya Fırat
AU - İlkay Keskinel
AU - Müzeyyen Eryılmaz
AU - Haluk Kılıç
AU - Şirin Güven
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Tobacco induced diseases
DO - 10.18332/tid/240349
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921500
AB - Introduction The health consequences of exposure to tobacco smoke during childhood can be more severe than those associated with exposure in adulthood. Exposure to secondhand smoke is also a significant issue for children, who constitute a vulnerable group. While urinary cotinine measurements serve as metabolic indicators of nicotine exposure, measurements of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) reflect DNA damage. This study evaluates the results of urine analysis obtained from healthy children, classified according to household smoking status.Methods In this cross-sectional study, urinary cotinine and 8-OHdG levels of a total of 97 children living in smoke-free homes, where only one adult smoked, and more than one adult used tobacco, were analyzed as a ratio to creatinine using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Families of children visiting the pediatric outpatient clinic for routine examinations were categorized based on their smoking habits. Additionally, a questionnaire using the Beliefs About Third-Hand Smoke (BATHS) scale was administered to these parents to evaluate their attitudes and beliefs regarding smoking.Results Urinary cotinine/creatinine levels were determined as 35.6 ± 5.17 pg/mg creatinine in the non-smokers (NS) group, 57.35 ± 4.84 pg/mg creatinine in the one person smoked (OPS) group, and 89.2 ± 5.3 pg/mg creatinine in the multiple people smoked (MPS) group. A statistically significant difference was found among all three groups (p<0.001). Urinary 8-OHdG levels differed significantly between the NS group and the other groups. However, no statistically significant difference was found when comparing the smoking OPS and MPS groups (p>0.05). Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between these two parameters and the BATHS score.Conclusions Our study has shown that biomarker levels considered indicators of childhood secondhand smoke exposure may be associated with factors such as the number of smokers in the home. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the attitudes and beliefs of parents and household members regarding smoking may also be linked to the intensity of exposure.
SN - 2070-7266
SN - 1617-9625
ER -