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BMC Medicine
Published in: BMC Medicine 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Effects of smoking and smoking cessation on human serum metabolite profile: results from the KORA cohort study

Authors: Tao Xu, Christina Holzapfel, Xiao Dong, Erik Bader, Zhonghao Yu, Cornelia Prehn, Katrin Perstorfer, Marta Jaremek, Werner Roemisch-Margl, Wolfgang Rathmann, Yixue Li, H -Erich Wichmann, Henri Wallaschofski, Karl H Ladwig, Fabian Theis, Karsten Suhre, Jerzy Adamski, Thomas Illig, Annette Peters, Rui Wang-Sattler

Published in: BMC Medicine | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

Metabolomics helps to identify links between environmental exposures and intermediate biomarkers of disturbed pathways. We previously reported variations in phosphatidylcholines in male smokers compared with non-smokers in a cross-sectional pilot study with a small sample size, but knowledge of the reversibility of smoking effects on metabolite profiles is limited. Here, we extend our metabolomics study with a large prospective study including female smokers and quitters.

Methods

Using targeted metabolomics approach, we quantified 140 metabolite concentrations for 1,241 fasting serum samples in the population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) human cohort at two time points: baseline survey conducted between 1999 and 2001 and follow-up after seven years. Metabolite profiles were compared among groups of current smokers, former smokers and never smokers, and were further assessed for their reversibility after smoking cessation. Changes in metabolite concentrations from baseline to the follow-up were investigated in a longitudinal analysis comparing current smokers, never smokers and smoking quitters, who were current smokers at baseline but former smokers by the time of follow-up. In addition, we constructed protein-metabolite networks with smoking-related genes and metabolites.

Results

We identified 21 smoking-related metabolites in the baseline investigation (18 in men and six in women, with three overlaps) enriched in amino acid and lipid pathways, which were significantly different between current smokers and never smokers. Moreover, 19 out of the 21 metabolites were found to be reversible in former smokers. In the follow-up study, 13 reversible metabolites in men were measured, of which 10 were confirmed to be reversible in male quitters. Protein-metabolite networks are proposed to explain the consistent reversibility of smoking effects on metabolites.

Conclusions

We showed that smoking-related changes in human serum metabolites are reversible after smoking cessation, consistent with the known cardiovascular risk reduction. The metabolites identified may serve as potential biomarkers to evaluate the status of smoking cessation and characterize smoking-related diseases.
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Metadata
Title
Effects of smoking and smoking cessation on human serum metabolite profile: results from the KORA cohort study
Authors
Tao Xu
Christina Holzapfel
Xiao Dong
Erik Bader
Zhonghao Yu
Cornelia Prehn
Katrin Perstorfer
Marta Jaremek
Werner Roemisch-Margl
Wolfgang Rathmann
Yixue Li
H -Erich Wichmann
Henri Wallaschofski
Karl H Ladwig
Fabian Theis
Karsten Suhre
Jerzy Adamski
Thomas Illig
Annette Peters
Rui Wang-Sattler
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Medicine / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1741-7015
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-11-60

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