Cotinine and interferon-gamma levels in pre-school children exposed to household tobacco smoke

• Main Authors: Lina Kalalo, Diana Takumansang-Sondakh, Audrey Wahani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Indonesian Pediatric Society Publishing House 2013-10-01
• Series: Paediatrica Indonesiana
• Subjects: environmental tobacco smoke, nicotine, IFN-g, pre-school children
• Online Access: https://paediatricaindonesiana.org/index.php/paediatrica-indonesiana/article/view/308
• ISSN: 0030-9311; 2338-476X

Background Environmental tobacco smoke has been consistently linked to negative health outcomes, especially in children, including an increased susceptibility to infections. Cigarette smoking has a depressive effect on interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Serum cotinine is a marker of exposure to smoke. Objective To determine the association between serum cotinine and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels in children with household tobacco smoke exposure. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study at the Tumumpa and Singkil Districts of Manado, Indonesia, from February to May 2012. Subjects were collected by consecutively sampling of healthy children aged 1-3 years who came to the integrated health posts. Seventy-four children were recruited and consisted of two groups of 37 subjects each, the tobacco smoke exposure group and the non-tobacco smoke exposure group. Blood specimens were collected from all subjects for laboratory blood tests of cotinine and IFN-γ levels. Results were analyzed by T-test and Pearson’s correlation analysis with a P<0.05 is considered as statistically significant. Results There was no significant correlation between serum cotinine and interferon-γ levels in the tobacco smoke exposure group. However, the interferon-γ level in the tobacco smoke exposure group was significantly lower than that of the non-tobacco smoke exposure group (P<0.0001). Conclusion Cotinine is not related to the interferon-γ level in children exposed to tobacco smoke, however, the interferon-γ level in children with tobacco smoke exposure is lower than in the non-tobacco smoke exposure group.