The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

 Objective: To study the role of surfactant apo-protein A and the plasma nicotine and cotinine levels in smoker and non smoker Chronic bronchitic subjects. 

Methods: The SP- A level in the serum was estimated by ELISA immunoassay method.  Nicotine and cotinine were estimated by HPLC. Results were expressed in mean±SD and comparison was made by using student ‘t' test.

Results:

Thirty patients of chronic bronchitis who satisfied the selection criteria were taken up for the study (9 non-smokers ,21 smokers, age range 30-80 yrs; mean + SD 55.22+15.21).

The amount of surfactant recovered (table) from smoker bronchitics was significantly lower from that of non-smoker group  (p<0.001).The nicotine  and cotinine  levels were significantly higher in smoker bronchitics  compared to non-smoker group (p<0.001).

 

Group	SP-A (mg/ml)	Nicotine (ng/ml)	Cotinine (ng/ml)
Smoker (n=21)	2.64±1.33	5.41±2.21	76±25.0
Nonsmoker (n=9)	6.0±1.67	1.83±1.37	2.67±0.09

P                                  <0.001                         <0.001                        <0.001 Conclusion: This study concludes that the surfactant Protein-A was low and nicotine and continine levels were significantly high in patients with smoker bronchitis in comparison to non-smoker bronchitis. The study may suggests that the nicotine and cotinine could be used as markers of smoking and the reduced levels of surfactant Protein-A could have a role in the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis and could be a marker for early detection.