ASSOCIATION OF 1-HYDROXYPYRENE-GLUCURONIDE IN HUMAN URINE WITH CIGARETTE-SMOKING AND BROILED OR ROASTED MEAT CONSUMPTION

Humans are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from var ious occupational, dietary, environmental and medicinal sources. We me asured 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide (1-OHP-gluc) concentration in urine s from male non-smokers (n = 50), smokers of blond tobacco (n = 31), s mokers of black tobacco (n = 16), and pipe smokers (n = 3). Immunoaffi nity chromatography was used as a preparative step and synchronous flu orescence spectroscopy as the quantitation method. The concentration o f 1-OHP-gluc in urine from smokers (mean +/- SE: 1.04 +/- 0.13 pmol ml (-1) urine) was significantly higher than in urine from non-smokers (0 .55 +/- 0.05 pmol ml(-1) urine) by the Wilcoxon rank sum test (non smo kers versus all smokers, p = 0.001; vs black-tobacco smokers, p = 0.00 1; vs blond-tobacco smokers, p = 0.007). Urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentrat ion among subjects who had consumed roasted, grilled or broiled meat w ithin the past 24 h was elevated compared with those who had not (p = 0.025). Multiple linear regression showed significant associations of urinary 1-OHP-gluc with number of cigarettes smoked (p = 0.002) and co nsumption of roasted, grilled or broiled meat (p = 0.028). Systemic CY P1A2 activity estimated by caffeine metabolism was significantly corre lated with urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration. However, this association was probably due to cigarette smoking, since adjusting for cigarette smoking by multiple linear regression made the association between uri nary 1-OHP-gluc and CYP1A2 phenotype non-significant. These results fu rther support the use of urinary 1-OHP-gluc as a biomarker of recent p yrene exposure through inhalation or diet.