RAPID EIA FOR COTININE IN BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS

THE USE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS WITH ALL ITS DELETERIOUS EFFECTSUPON THE GENERAL HEALTH OF OUR POPULACE WAS AND STILL IS A MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF SMOKERS HAS DECREASED OVER THE LAST DECADE, SMOKERS ARE SMOKING MORE CIGARETTES AND ADOLESCENTS ARE USING NOT ONLY CIGARETTES BUTALSO LARGE QUANTITIES OF SMOKELESS TOBACCO. THERE IS ALSO CONCERN WITH REGARD TO THE EFFECTS OF PASSIVE SMOKE ON NONSMOKERS, SUCH AS CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS, BOTH IN THE WORKPLACE AND IN THE HOME. BECAUSE OF THESE PROBLEMS, THERE IS CONSIDERABLE EFFORT BEING PUT FORTH BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO OBTAIN THE GOAL OFA SMOKE-FREE SOCIETY. IT WILL REQUIRE SPECIFIC ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES TO MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE SUCCESS OF SUCH EFFORTS. A VARIETY OF METHODS IS AVAILABLE FOR THE SPECIFIC AND SENSITIVE DETERMINATION OF NICOTINE AND ITS MAJOR METABOLITE, COTININE, IN BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS. MOST OF THE AVAILABLE ASSAYS (I.E., HPLC, GC, RIA) REQUIRE EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT, TRAINED PERSONNEL, AND A LABORATORY SETTING. IT IS PLANNED TO DEVELOP AN ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY (EIA) THAT WILL BE USEFUL FOR THE DETECTION OF VARIOUS CONCENTRATIONS OF COTININE IN BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS. THIS ASSAY CAN BE ADAPTED FOR USE IN MONITORING THE EFFECTS OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON SMOKING STATUS IN THE POPULACE. THE ASSAY IS SIMPLE, FAST (LESS THAN 5 MINUTES), NONINSTRUMENTAL, AND THUS EASILY PORTABLE FOR USE IN THE WORKPLACE OR PHYSICIAN'SOFFICE.