Recently, US FDA has issued a regulation regarding MRTP (modified risk tobacco products) applications and a demand for the study on the assessment of risk reduction is increased. The measurement of changes in biomarkers for cigarette smoke is reliable and relevant approach for assessment of MRTP in human. Biomarkers of exposure are constituents or metabolites that are measured in a biological fluid such as urine.

Among them, nicotine and five major metabolites in urine are highly specific markers and routinely used for assessing tobacco smoke exposure. 3-HPMA (3-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid) and MHBMA (monohydroxybutenyl-mercapturic acids) are major metabolites of acrolein and 1,3-butadiene, respectively. Also mutagenicity of smoker's urine has been reported higher than that of nonsmoker's urine. These metabolites used as biomarkers of exposure to specific cigarette smoke constituents.

In this study, we assessed the nicotine metabolites level and specific cigarette smoke constituents biomarker. Using urinary sample of volunteers, biomarkers such as nicotine metabolites, 3-HPMA, MHBMA and urine mutagenicity were evaluated by LC-MS/MS and urine mutagenicity assay, respectively. As a result, selected biomarkers such as acrolein and 1,3-butadiene have a correlation with nicotine and nicotine metabolites.