Association of 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide in human urine with cigarette smoking and broiled or roasted meat consumption

Humans are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from various occupational, dietary, environmental and medicinal sources. We measured 1-hydroxypyrene-glucuronide (1-OHP-gluc) concentration in urines from male non-smokers (n = 50), smokers of blond tobacco (n = 31), smokers of black tobacco (n = 16), and pipe smokers (n = 3). Immunoaffinity chromatography was used as a preparative step and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy as the quantitation method. The concentration of 1-OHP-gluc in urine from smokers (mean +/- SE: 1.04 +/- 0.13 pmol ml(-1) urine) was significantly higher than in urine from non-smokers (0.55 +/- 0.05 pmol ml(-1) urine) by the Wilcoxon rank sum test (non smokers versus all smokers, p = 0.001; vs black-tobacco smokers, p = 0.001; vs blond-tobacco smokers, p = 0.007). Urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration among subjects who had consumed roasted, grilled or broiled meat within the past 24 h was elevated compared with those who had not (p = 0.025). Multiple linear regression showed significant associations of urinary 1-OHP-gluc with number of cigarettes smoked (p = 0.002) and consumption of roasted, grilled or broiled meat (p = 0.028). Systemic CYP1A2 activity estimated by caffeine metabolism was significantly correlated with urinary 1-OHP-gluc concentration. However, this association was probably due to cigarette smoking, since adjusting for cigarette smoking by multiple linear regression made the association between urinary 1-OHP-gluc and CYP1A2 phenotype non-significant. These results further support the use of urinary 1-OHP-gluc as a biomarker of recent pyrene exposure through inhalation or diet.