Quantification of 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone released from human haemoglobin as a dosimeter for exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamines.

A method was developed to quantify globin adducts of the tobacco-specific nitrosamines 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN). Globin adducts of NNK and NNN release 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (HPB) after mild treatment with a base. HPB was analysed as its pentafluorobenzoate by capillary column gas chromatography with detection by negative-ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry and selected-ion monitoring. The detection limit for HPB-pentafluorobenzoate was approximately 1 fmol/injection. The method was applied to haemoglobin from snuff dippers, smokers and nonsmokers. Adduct levels were highest in snuff dippers (517 +/- 538 fmol HPB per gram haemoglobin), followed by smokers (79 +/- 189 fmol HPB per gram haemoglobin) and nonsmokers (29.3 +/- 25.9 fmol HPB per gram haemoglobin). The method will be useful in assessing the role of tobacco-specific nitrosamines as causes of cancer in smokers and snuff dippers.