Biomarker is an indicator of a particular state of an organ or a particular stage of a disease.Smoking is a harmful activity which toxins the human body and affects all its vital organs.Biomarker help us to understand the complexity or severity of the state.
What is a Biomarker?
- It stands for biological marker.
- It is a substance used as an indicator.
- It is a characteristic quantity which can be objectively measured and evaluated.
- It is used to understand the state of an organ,stage of a disease or effect of a drug on the body.
Some of the Biomarkers associated with smoking are:
- DNA adducts.
- White blood cells.
- Bronchoalveolar lavage cells.
- Carbon Monoxide.
- Cotinine.
- Thiocyanate.
Role of biomarkers in smoking:
- Studies have confirmed that the smoking biomarker DNA adduct can measure tobacco smoke exposure.
- It can measure the intake of carcinogen and metabolic activation.
- In smokers,the levels of DNA adducts are much higher.It is not found in non-smokers and ex-smokers.
- The white blood cells and bronchoalveolar lavage cells are other two biomarkers associated with smoking.
- We can compare the effects of tobacco and active and passive smoking in cancer patients and healthy individuals by monitoring,measuring and comparing these two biomarkers.
- Carbon monoxide,Cotinine and Thiocyanate are biomarkers associated with smoking reduction.
- The most easy method to measure inhalation is the measurement of CO.However,the effect of CO lasts for 4-6 hrs.
- Cotinine is a biomarker with a half-life of 24-36 hrs.But it cannot be reliable indicator under nicotine medication.
- Thiocyanate has longer half-life of 14 days and can be measured even while undergoing nicotin medication.
- The biomarkers associated with smoking are few in number and further research is required to increase the count of them.
