REVIEW article
Front. Mol. Biosci.
Sec. Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Non-invasive exposure biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure in smokers of classic cigarettes and users of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products
Provisionally accepted
- Uniwersytet Medyczny w Bialymstoku, Bialystok, Poland
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Exposure biomarkers are measurable biological indicators that indicate whether or not the body has been exposed to a particular chemical and the extent of that exposure. Exposure biomarkers are widely used in smokers. Today, there is a growing number of users of various forms of tobacco, especially in the form of e-cigarettes and heated tobaccos. The method of tobacco delivery has an impact on toxicity and biomarker concentrations. Therefore, it is expedient to introduce new biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure, in addition to existing markers. The ideal biomarker is characterized by non-invasive intake - therefore saliva and urine should be considered as ideal material for determination of biomarkers of exposure. This paper summarizes the existing knowledge of classical and modern biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure determined from urine and saliva and a brief overview on exposure biomarkers. In addition, the paper provides a description of future developments of exposure biomarkers in different groups of cigarette users.
Keywords: classic cigarettes1, e-cigarettes2, heated tobacco products3, biomarkers of exposure4, Cytokines5, chemokines6, oxidative stress parameters7, urid biomarkers and saliva biomarkers8
Received: 29 Jul 2025; Accepted: 12 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jończyk, Kicman, Michalska-Falkowska, Śniadach and Waszkiewicz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Aleksandra Kicman, olakicman@gmail.com
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