A simple and highly sensitive UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of nicotine, cotinine, and the tobacco-specific carcinogens N'-nitrosonornicotine and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in serum samples

According to the World Health Organization, the consumption of tobacco products is the single largest cause of preventable deaths in the world, exceeding the total aggregated number of deaths caused by diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. An important element in the evaluation of the health risks associated with the consumption of tobacco products is the assessment of the internal exposure to the tobacco constituents responsible for their addictive (e.g. nicotine) and carcinogenic (e.g. N-nitrosamines such as NNN and NNK) properties. However, the assessment of the serum levels of these compounds is often challenging from an analytical standpoint, in particular when limited sample volumes are available and low detection limits are required. Currently available analytical methods often rely on complex multi-step sample preparation procedures, which are prone to low analyte recoveries and ex-vivo contamination due to the ubiquitous nature of these compounds as background contaminants. In order to circumvent these problems, we report a facile and highly sensitive method for the simultaneous quantification of nicotine, cotinine, NNN, and NNK in serum samples. The method relies on a simple “one pot” liquid-liquid extraction procedure and isotope dilution ultra-high pressure (UPLC) hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The method requires only 10 μL of serum and presents a limit of quantification of 0.02 nmol (3000 pg/mL) nicotine, 0.6 pmol (100 pg/mL) cotinine, 0.05 pmol NNK (10 pg/mL), and 0.06 pmol NNN (10 pg/mL), making it appropriate for pharmacokinetic evaluations.