Assessment of exposure to secondhand smoke at outdoor bars and family restaurants in Athens, Georgia, using salivary cotinine.

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in outdoor settings is a growing public health concern due to recent indoor smoking bans. The objective of this study was to measure salivary cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, in subjects aged 21-30 exposed to SHS outside bars and restaurants in Athens, Georgia. Nonsmokers participated during 6-hr periods in outdoor standing or seating areas of bars and restaurants where indoor smoking was banned, as well as a control outdoor location with no smokers over six weekends during the summer and early fall of 2007. Pre- and post-exposure saliva samples (N = 25 person-days at the bar site, N = 28 person-days at the restaurant site, and N = 11 person-days at the control) were collected and analyzed for cotinine. The mean change in the response, (ln(post) - ln(pre)) salivary cotinine levels, was significantly impacted by the type of site (bar, restaurant, control) (F = 5.09; d.f. = 2, 6.7; p = 0.0455). The median percent increase in salivary cotinine from pre-test to post-test was estimated to be 162%, 102%, and 16% at the bar, restaurant, and control sites, respectively, values that were significant increases at bars (t = 4.63; d.f. = 9.24; p = 0.0011) and restaurants (t = 4.33; d.f. = 4.47; p = 0.0097) but not at the control sites. On average, these pre-test to post-test increases in salivary cotinine were significantly higher at bar sites than control sites (t = 3.05; d.f. = 9.85; p = 0.0176) and at restaurant sites compared with control sites (t = 2.35; d.f. = 5.09; p = 0.0461). Nonsmokers outside restaurants and bars in Athens, Georgia, have significantly elevated salivary cotinine levels indicative of secondhand smoke exposure.

The isolation of acyl-CoA derivatives as products of partial reactions in the microsomal chain elongation of fatty acids.

An analysis of overall chain elongation, condensation, beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrase and 2-trans enoyl-CoA reductase reactions, using the appropriate CoA derivatives as substrates which are required in the microsomal chain elongation of both palmitoyl-CoA and 6,9-octadecadienoyl-CoA, demonstrated that in each instance, the products of these reactions were the CoA derivatives. Reverse dehydrase reactions run with 2-trans enoyl-CoA derivatives as substrates, in the absence of NADPH, revealed that the product was the beta-hydroxyacyl-Coa. In the presence of NADPH, incubations with beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA demonstrated that both the 2-trans derivatives and the alpha, beta-saturated product were recovered as their CoA derivatives. These latter findings are more consistent with the involvement of discrete dehydrase and 2-trans-enoyl-CoA reductase enzymes rather than a single protein catalyzing two reactions.

Factors regulating the elongation of palmitic and stearic acid by rat liver microsomes.

Analysis of the rates of overall chain elongation and condensation of malonyl-CoA with palmitoyl-CoA and stearoyl-CoA as primers demonstrated that for each primer, the rate of the overall metabolic process was similar to the initial condensation. The specific activity for condensation with palmitoyl-CoA was eleven times greater than for stearoyl-CoA. The specific activities of both the beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrase and 2-trans-enoyl-CoA reductase reactions were much higher than for either condensation or chain elongation, although these rates were somewhat greater with the intermediates required in chain elongating palmitoyl-CoA than for stearoyl-CoA. Both substrates were incorporated into phospholipids at low rates and there was a time-dependent hydrolytic cleavage of the acyl-CoA primers which was partially prevented by bovine serum albumin. These findings demonstrate that there was no selective removal of either primer which could result in specific substrate depletion and an apparent reduction in the rate of condensation. These combined results firmly establish the rate-limiting nature and high degree of substrate specificity exhibited during the initial condensation step in fatty acid elongation.

Studies to determine the role rates of chain elongation and desaturation play in regulating the unsaturated fatty acid composition of rat liver lipids.

Rat liver microsomes were used to measure the rates of chain elongation and desaturation of acids in the linoleate, oleate and palmitoleate biosynthetic pathways. These studies were designed to determine whether there is a relationship between rates of conversion and the types of unsaturated fatty acids found in rat liver lipids. In some cases rates of conversion correlate well with the types of unsaturated fatty acid found inrat liver lipids. In other cases, rates of conversion must be correlated with other controls such as competitive interactions, retroconversion, and specificities for incorporating given acids into lipids in order to explain the unsaturated fatty acid composition of rat liver lipids. The roles and interrelationships of these various metabolic processes are discussed relative to the control of polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis.

Biosynthesis of sphingomyelin from erythro-ceramides and phosphatidylcholine by a microsomal cholinephosphotransferase.

Mouse liver microsomes were shown to be active in the synthesis of sphingomyelin from ceramide and phosphatidylcholine in a reaction independent of CDPcholine. The conversion was not inhibited by calcium chelating reagents, and no evidence for the involvement of phospholipase C activity in the transformation could be adduced. Activity was also demonstrated in monkey liver and heart microsomes. Mouse brain microsomes produced a sphingomyelin analogue, tentatively identified as ceramide phosphorylethanolamine, but not sphingomyelin. Both [14C]ceramide and [G-14]phosphatidylethanolamine were precursors of the brain product, while phosphatidylcholine was inactive. Progress in the partial characterization of the liver enzyme is also described.

The effect of bovine serum albumin on partial reactions of palmitoyl-CoA chain elongation by rat liver microsomes.

In the absence of albumin, v/s curves for both condensation and overall chain elongation demonstrated that the specific activity for overall chain elongation was 3.7 times that of condensation. When the molar ratio of palmitoyl-CoA to albumin was greater than 2 : 1, the specific activity of chain elongation exceeded that of condensation. At these low albumin concentrations, in the absence of NADPH, the beta-ketostearoyl-coA was converted back to palmitate. This cleavage reaction is inhibited by albumin in a concentration-dependent manner. When the palmitoyl-CoA to albumin molar ratio was less than 2 : 1, the specific activity for condensation exceeded that for overall chain elongation and some beta-ketostearate was shown to accumulate under chain elongation conditions. The specific activity for dehydration of beta-hydroxystearoyl-CoA was maximal when the acyl-CoA to albumin molar ratio was between 10 : 1 and 4 : 1 but the rate of this reaction was not markedly influenced by variations in albumin concentration. The specific activity for the NADPH-dependent reduction of 2-trans-octa-decenoyl-CoA was 18 nmol . min(-1) . mg(-1) in the absence of albumin and increased to a maximum of 112 when the substrate to albumin molar ratio was 2 : 1. At higher albumin concentrations the reductase reaction was inhibited. Conversely, the specific activity for the reverse dehydrase was maximal at low albumin concentrations and the rate of this reaction declined as the albumin concentration increased. Our results demonstrate that albumin not only alleviates a substrate induced inhibition but also regulates the metabolic fate of 2-trans-octadecenoyl-CoA and in this regard may possibly substitute for acyl-CoA binding proteins.

A summary of recent findings on birth outcomes and developmental effects of prenatal ETS, PAH, and pesticide exposures.

Inner-city minority populations are high-risk groups for adverse birth outcomes and also more likely to be exposed to environmental contaminants, including environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), benzo[a]pyrene B[a]P, other ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (global PAHs), and residential pesticides. The Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) is conducting a prospective cohort study of 700 northern Manhattan pregnant women and newborns to examine the effects of prenatal exposure to these common toxicants on fetal growth, early neurodevelopment, and respiratory health. This paper summarizes results of three published studies demonstrating the effects of prenatal ETS, PAH, and pesticides on birth outcomes and/or neurocognitive development [Perera FP, Rauh V, Whyatt RM, Tsai WY, Bernert JT, Tu YH, et al. Molecular evidence of an interaction between prenatal environment exposures on birth outcomes in a multiethnic population. Environ Health Perspect 2004;12:630-62; Rauh VA, Whyatt RM, Garfinkel R, Andrews H, Hoepner L, Reyes A, et al. Developmental effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and material hardship among inner-city children. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2004;26:373-85; Whyatt RM, Rauh V, Barr DB, Camann DE, Andrews HF, Garfinkel R, et al. Prenatal insecticide exposures, birth weight and length among an urban minority cohort. Environ Health Perspect, in press]. To evaluate the effects of prenatal exposure to ETS, PAHs, and pesticides, researchers analyzed questionnaire data, cord blood plasma (including biomarkers of ETS and pesticide exposure), and B[a]P-DNA adducts (a molecular dosimeter of PAHs). Self-reported ETS was associated with decreased head circumference (P = 0.04), and there was a significant interaction between ETS and adducts such that combined exposure had a significant multiplicative effect on birth weight (P = 0.04) and head circumference (P = 0.01) after adjusting for confounders. A second analysis examined the neurotoxic effects of prenatal ETS exposure and postpartum material hardship (unmet basic needs in the areas of food, housing, and clothing) on 2-year cognitive development. Both exposures depressed cognitive development (P < 0.05), and there was a significant interaction such that children with exposure to both ETS and material hardship exhibited the greatest cognitive deficit (7.1 points). A third analysis found that cord chlorpyrifos, and a combined measure of cord chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and propoxur-metabolite, were inversely associated with birth weight and/or length (P < 0.05). These results underscore the importance of policies that reduce exposure to ETS, air pollution, and pesticides with potentially adverse effects on fetal growth and child neurodevelopment.

Serum fatty acids and blood pressure.

To examine the relation between serum fatty acids and blood pressure, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 156 men who were enrolled in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. After confirming the stability of the stored serum samples, we measured serum fatty acid levels by gas-liquid chromatography and examined their association with blood pressure. Using stepwise linear regression, we determined that each SD increase (1.9%) in the serum level of cholesterol ester palmitoleic acid (16:1) was associated with a systolic pressure increase of 3.3 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 0.9 to 5.6 mm Hg) and each SD increase (0.1%) in phospholipid omega 9 eicosatrienoic acid (20:3) was associated with a diastolic pressure increase of 1.7 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 0.5 to 2.9 mm Hg). Serum level of cholesterol ester steric acid (18:0) was inversely associated with diastolic pressure: each SD increase (0.2%) was associated with a decrease of 1.4 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, -2.5 to -0.2 mm Hg). In multivariate models that included dietary fat intake, cholesterol ester dihomogammalinolenic acid (20:3) was also associated with diastolic pressure: each SD increase (0.16%) was associated with an increase of 1.2 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 0.1 to 2.4 mm Hg). Our results indicate that three nonessential fatty acids--stearic acid, palmitoleic acid, and omega 9 eicosatrienoic acid, and one essential fatty acid--dihomogammalinolenic acid, are independent correlates of blood pressure among middle-aged American men at high risk of coronary heart disease.

Prenatal diagnosis of the Pallister-Killian mosaic aneuploidy syndrome by CVS.

Prenatal cytogenetic analysis at 11 weeks of gestation revealed an abnormal karyotype 47,XX,+mar in all metaphases obtained from a chorionic villi sample after 24 h culture. Karyotyping of amniotic fluid cells in the second trimester showed mosaicism 47,XX,+i(12p)/46,XX with 10% aneuploid cells. The pregnancy was terminated at 20 weeks of gestation on the patient's request. The aborted fetus showed typical manifestations of the Pallister-Killian mosaic aneuploidy syndrome. The identity of the supernumerary isochromosome 12p was proven by LDH isozyme electrophoresis using cultured fibroblasts and by nonradioactive in situ hybridization using a biotinylated set of chromosome 12-specific DNA probes.

Measuring secondhand smoke exposure in babies: the reliability and validity of mother reports in a sample of low-income families.

The reliability and validity of mother's reports of their infants' exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) were examined in an ethnically diverse sample of low-income, low-education families (N = 141 mothers). At baseline and posttest, smoking mothers reported about their infants' SHS exposure at different locations and by different sources during the previous week. Findings show that mothers can give reliable accounts of the degree to which they contribute to their babies' SHS exposure. Mothers are able to differentiate between their own smoking behavior and the extent to which they expose their infants. Consistent with the overall exposure pattern, exposure caused by the mother and exposure occurring at home showed the strongest associations with biological and environmental measures. These findings suggest that smoking mothers can provide reliable and valid reports of the degree to which their infants are exposed to SHS.

The estimation of total serum lipids by a completely enzymatic 'summation' method.

Expressing serum organic toxicant concentrations per weight of total lipid rather than by volume of serum is often advantageous, but it requires a reliable and convenient method for determining the total serum lipids. We compared a completely enzymatic 'summation' method for estimating serum total lipids with a traditional gravimetric analysis. Serum total cholesterol (TC), nonesterified cholesterol (FC), triglycerides (TG), and phospholipids (PL) were assayed by automated, enzymatic methods and total lipids (TL) were calculated from the expression TL = 1.677 * (TC-FC) + FC + TG + PL. Examining three reference serum pools by both summation and gravimetric methods yielded results that agreed within 1-3%. The evaluation of thirty serum samples resulted in similar mean total lipid values (697 mg/dl gravimetric; 675 mg/dl summation) with excellent correlation between the two methods (r2 = 0.978). We conclude that the enzymatic summation procedure is a useful method for routinely estimating serum total lipid content.

Households contaminated by environmental tobacco smoke: sources of infant exposures.

OBJECTIVES: To examine (1) whether dust and surfaces in households of smokers are contaminated with environmental tobacco smoke (ETS); (2) whether smoking parents can protect their infants by smoking outside and away from the infant; and (3) whether contaminated dust, surfaces, and air contribute to ETS exposure in infants. DESIGN: Quasi-experiment comparing three types of households with infants: (1) non-smokers who believe they have protected their children from ETS; (2) smokers who believe they have protected their children from ETS; (3) smokers who expose their children to ETS. SETTING: Homes of smokers and non-smokers. PARTICIPANTS: Smoking and non-smoking mothers and their infants < or = 1 year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ETS contamination as measured by nicotine in household dust, indoor air, and household surfaces. ETS exposure as measured by cotinine levels in infant urine. RESULTS: ETS contamination and ETS exposure were 5-7 times higher in households of smokers trying to protect their infants by smoking outdoors than in households of non-smokers. ETS contamination and exposure were 3-8 times higher in households of smokers who exposed their infants to ETS by smoking indoors than in households of smokers trying to protect their children by smoking outdoors. CONCLUSIONS: Dust and surfaces in homes of smokers are contaminated with ETS. Infants of smokers are at risk of ETS exposure in their homes through dust, surfaces, and air. Smoking outside the home and away from the infant reduces but does not completely protect a smoker's home from ETS contamination and a smoker's infant from ETS exposure.

Exposure of casino employees to environmental tobacco smoke.

Environmental and medical evaluations were performed to evaluate occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among casino employees. Air concentrations of both nicotine and respirable dust were similar to those published in the literature for other non-industrial indoor environments. The geometric mean serum cotinine level of the 27 participants who provided serum samples was 1.34 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) (pre-shift) and 1.85 ng/mL (post-shift). Both measurements greatly exceeded the geometric mean value of 0.65 ng/mL for participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) who reported exposure to ETS at work. This evaluation demonstrates that a sample of employees working in a casino gaming area were exposed to ETS at levels greater than those observed in a representative sample of the US population, and that the serum and urine cotinine of these employees increased during the workshift.

Environmental and behavioral predictors of salivary cotinine in Latino tobacco workers.

We report the results of a cohort study of 182 seasonal and migrant farmworkers engaged in tobacco production in two North Carolina counties. Data were collected on tobacco work tasks and risk factors for exposure to nicotine, including smoking, every 2 weeks over a 10-week period during the summer of 1999. Saliva samples were collected for cotinine analysis at every contact. Salivary cotinine levels increased across the season, independent of smoking status. Multivariate analyses identified a model (R2 = 0.68) in which predictors of cotinine included greater age, later-season work, wet working conditions, smoking, and work task. Harvesting ("priming") tobacco was associated with higher cotinine levels than other tasks. This study demonstrates that tobacco workers experience substantial work-related exposure to nicotine. The long-term effects of such exposure should be investigated.

Manufacturing processes at two French rapeseed oil companies: possible relationships to toxic oil syndrome in Spain.

The toxic oil syndrome (TOS) epidemic that occurred in Spain in spring 1981 has been associated with the consumption of rapeseed oil that was denatured with aniline for industrial use but diverted for human consumption. The precise aetiologic agent in the oil responsible for the outbreak has not been identified. To learn more about possible contaminants and how the contamination might have occurred, we visited two French companies that process rapeseed oil and that were identified in Spanish administrative and judicial records as the ones exporting aniline-denatured rapeseed oil to Spain in 1981. With the apparently full and voluntary co-operation of personnel at both companies, we reviewed the processes involved in manufacturing, treating and transporting rapeseed oil, and we have summarized the information provided to us. Of particular importance is the finding that oil exported to Spain was taken from stock, the rest of which was sold for human consumption in the French domestic market, apparently without any adverse health effects. The differences between the oil exported to Spain and the oil sold as food in France were that aniline equivalent to 2% of the weight of the oil was added to most of the Spanish oil but not to that sold in France, and that contamination of the Spanish oil may have occurred in the tank trucks used for transportation to Spain, which had previously carried industrial chemicals. There is no assurance that the trucks were cleaned appropriately for transporting a food product before the oil was loaded for the journey to Spain. Since the clinical manifestations of TOS are not those of aniline toxicity, we conclude that the aetiological agent of TOS is likely to be one of the following: (1) a contaminant in the aniline, (2) a contaminant introduced during transportation, (3) a reaction product of normal oil components or materials used in refining with either aniline or the potential contaminants mentioned under (1) or (2) above.

Structural identification of a heterocyclic compound implicated in the Spanish toxic oil syndrome.

The compound 1-phenyl-5-vinylimidazolidine-2-thione was previously reported to be the causative agent in the outbreak referred to as Spanish toxic oil syndrome. X-ray crystallography, together with nuclear magnetic resonance and infra-red spectroscopy, now show the correct structure of this compound to be N-(5-vinyl-1,3-thiazolidin-2-ylidene)phenylamine (5-VTPA). Data for the structural characterization of 5-VTPA and the closely related isomer N-(4-vinyl-1,3-thiazolidin-2-ylidene)phenylamine are reported.

Synthesis of N-(5-vinyl-1,3-thiazolidin-2-ylidene)phenylamine and analysis of oils implicated in the Spanish toxic oil syndrome for its presence.

Previous reports have implicated 1-phenyl-5-vinyl imidazolidine-2-thione (PVIZT), a cyclic reaction product of aniline and naturally occurring rapeseed oil isothiocyanates, as the potential causative agent of the Spanish toxic oil syndrome (TOS). This report describes the synthesis, preliminary characterization and analysis of that reaction product, which has been identified as N-(5-vinyl-1,3-thiazolidin-2-ylidene)phenylamine (5-VTPA) rather than PVIZT. Oil samples (n = 21) that contained fatty acid anilides and were epidemiologically linked to TOS were analysed for the presence of 5-VTPA by extraction of the oil with methanol and clean-up on an ion-exchange column, followed by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using selected ion detection. A limit of detection of less than 500 ppb was established for these analyses. No 5-VTPA could be detected, however, in any of the TOS oils. As 5-VTPA was shown to be unstable in both heated and unheated food oils, it is possible that the compound had been lost from the oils since the time of the epidemic in 1981. However, no direct evidence for the involvement of 5-VTPA in TOS could be obtained in this study.

Do children with asthma and their parents agree on household ETS exposure? Implications for asthma management.

The adverse consequences of passive smoking have spurred efforts to reduce environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure among children, particularly in the home. For children with asthma, teaching them to avoid tobacco smoke at home is an important element of patient self-management. This strategy assumes that children can accurately assess household smoking behaviors and the level of their own exposure in the home. This study compared child and parental assessments of household smoking behaviors in an urban, low-income and largely ethnic minority sample of asthmatic children and their parents. While there was general parent-child agreement on the smoking status of household members, there was less agreement on duration of household smoking and the child's exposure to ETS. Objective validation measures (cotinine, nicotine) suggest that parents were better able than their children to assess hours of indoor smoking. Children's assessment of the extent of exposure to ETS may be problematic, with important implications for asthma patient self-management efforts.

Evaluation of four maternal smoking questions.

OBJECTIVE: The authors evaluated four questions about maternal smoking during pregnancy for use on birth certificates. METHODS: Question 1 (yes/no format) and Question 2 (trimester-specific design) were tested among 1171 women who delivered at two Kaiser Permanente medical centers in northern California. Responses to Questions 1 and 2 were compared with smoking information provided by participants in telephone interviews conducted during pregnancy. Question 3 (multiple choice format) and Question 4 (month- and grouped month-specific design) were tested among 900 women who enrolled in a statewide prenatal screening program and who delivered in 20 hospitals in four Central Valley counties. Responses to Questions 3 and 4 were compared with mid-pregnancy serum cotinine levels. The authors evaluated the four questions in terms of conciseness, response rate, data accuracy, and type of data requested. RESULTS: Questions 1 and 2 were the most concise. Response rates could not be calculated for Questions 1 and 2. Response rates were 86.0% for Question 3 and 74.2% for Question 4. Sensitivity was 47.3% for Question 1, 62.1% for Question 2, 83.8% for Question 3, and 86.7% for Question 4. The types of data requested by Questions 2 and 4 seem to best satisfy the needs of the broad audience of birth certificate users. CONCLUSIONS: No single question was clearly superior. The authors propose a combination of Questions 2 and 4, which asks about average number of cigarettes smoked per day in the three months before pregnancy and in each trimester of pregnancy.

Household smoking behavior and ETS exposure among children with asthma in low-income, minority households.

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure was measured among 242 children with asthma who live in homes where at least one person smokes. Subjects were identified through clinics, schools, community agencies, and hospitals serving low-income, medically underserved communities in Los Angeles. Parents were surveyed about smoking behaviors in the household, children's ETS exposure, and attitudes towards smoking and smoking behavior change. Validation measures included urine cotinine for the child with asthma and passive air nicotine monitors placed in the subjects' homes. Overall reported levels of household smoking and ETS exposure were low, with a significant amount of household smoking taking place outside rather than inside the home. Over 47% of the respondents reported absolute restrictions against smoking in the home, and these restrictions were associated with lower reported levels of smoking, ETS exposure, and air nicotine and urine cotinine concentrations.