Presence and persistence of serum anti-benzo[a]pyrene diolepoxide-DNA adduct antibodies in smokers: effects of smoking reduction and cessation.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Nicotine, published as a randomized controlled trial.

Little is known about the persistence of BPDE-DNA, and no study has been performed to evaluate the persistence of BPDE-DNA-Abs after cessation of exposure.

Why It Was Studied

Adducted DNA becomes antigenic and antibodies anti-BPDE-DNA (BPDE-DNA-Abs) may be found in serum of exposed subjects.

Nicotine or placebo patches were randomly assigned to the subjects.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 28 subjects taking part.

Fifty heavy smokers, enrolled in a smoking cessation program with nicotine patch substitution therapy, were evaluated for the presence of BPDE-DNA-Abs before (w0) and 1, 3, 6 and 12 weeks (w1-12) after the start of the program.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, single-blind and placebo-controlled study.

The subjects were allocated by chance, so the Nicotine group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Only one side, usually the subjects, was kept unaware of whether Nicotine was given.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Nicotine group a baseline to be compared against.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are 7,8-Dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene 9,10-oxide, Antibodies, Antinuclear, Biomarkers, DNA Adducts, DNA Damage, Nicotine and Smoking.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, single-blind and placebo-controlled study of Nicotine in 28 subjects.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1997 (International journal of cancer), a journal based in United States.

More context: the related Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) library page, all human trials.