[C-reactive protein value related to a smoking history and composition of nicotine and tobacco tar]. / Valor de la proteína C reactiva según historia de tabaquismo y composición de nicotina y alquitrán.

INTRODUCTION: The CRP is known to be an acute phase reactant, but with new high sensitivity assay methods it appears that CRP is also a marker of chronic inflammation. This study was to investigate whether smoking acts as a systemic disease and to see if there is a relation between CRP values and smoking. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 762 persons were studied, with a mean age of 41.74+/-10.03 years. 200 were smokers, 344 were non-smokers and 218 were ex-smokers. The following details were noted in the smoking history: cigarette brand, number of cigarettes/day, number of years smoking and milligrams of nicotine and tar. In the case of ex-smokers, the number of years since giving up smoking was noted. The CRP was determined using the high sensitive Tina-Quant assay. Windows SPSS version 11.0 software was used. RESULTS: The CRP values showed statistically significant differences between the smoking and non-smoking groups. A statistically significant increase in CRP was observed in relation to number of cigarettes/day (p=0.001), mg of nicotine (p=0.017), mg of tar (p=0.020) and number of years of smoking (p=0.0001). However, when analysing the relation between CRP and the number of years since giving up smoking, there was a negative curve of 0.02 in the equation, but this was not of statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: CRP levels rise when there is an increase in number of cigarettes/day, mg of nicotine and tar and years smoking.

Valor de la proteína C reactiva según historia de tabaquismo y composición de nicotina y alquitrán / C-reactive protein value related to a smoking history and composition of nicotine and tobacco tar

Introducción: La PCR se conoce como reactante de fase aguda, pero con los nuevos métodos de análisis ultrasensibles, aparece el concepto de PCR como marcador de inflamación crónica. En este estudio vamos a investigar si el tabaquismo se comporta como una enfermedad sistémica, ver si existe relación entre los valores de la PCR y el tabaquismo. Material y métodos: Se estudian 762 personas de edad media 41,74 (d.s.10,03) años. 200 eran fumadoras, 344 no fumadoras y 218 exfumadoras. En la historia de tabaquismo se recoge: marca de tabaco, número de cigarrillos/ día, duración en años del hábito y milígramos de nicotina y alquitrán. En los exfumadores el número de años de abandono tabáquico. La PCR se determina mediante ensayo Tina – Quant ultrasensible. Se aplica el programa informático SPSS windows versión 11.0 Resultados: Aparecen valores de PCR con diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos de fumadores y de no fumadores. Se observa un aumento estadísticamente significativo de la PCR en relación con el número de cigarrillos/ día (p = 0,001), con los mg de nicotina (p = 0,017), con los mg de alquitrán (p = 0,020) y con los años de duración del hábito tabáquico (p = 0,001). Sin embargo, al estudiar la relación entre PCR y años de abandono tabáquico se observa una pendiente negativa de la ecuación de 0,02, pero no es estadísticamente significativa. Conclusiones: Los niveles de PCR aumentan al incrementarse el consumo de cigarrillos/día, los mg de nicotina, de alquitrán y la duración del hábito

Introduction: The CRP is known to be an acute phase reactant, but with new high sensitivity assay methods it appears that CRP is also a marker of chronic inflammation. This study was to investigate whether smoking acts as a systemic disease and to see if there is a relation between CRP values and smoking. Material and methods: 762 persons were studied, with a mean age of 41.74 ± 10.03 years. 200 were smokers, 344 were non-smokers and 218 were ex-smokers. The following details were noted in the smoking history: cigarette brand, number of cigarettes/day, number of years’ smoking and milligrams of nicotine and tar. In the case of ex-smokers, the number of years since giving up smoking was noted. The CRP was determined using the high sensitive Tina – Quant assay. Windows SPSS version 11.0 software was used. Results: The CRP values showed statistically significant differences between the smoking and non-smoking groups. A statistically significant increase in CRP was observed in relation to number of cigarettes/day (p = 0.001), mg of nicotine (p = 0.017), mg of tar (p=0.020) and number of years of smoking (p = 0.0001). However, when analysing the relation between CRP and the number of years since giving up smoking, there was a negative curve of 0.02 in the equation, but this was not of statistical significance. Conclusions: CRP levels rise when there is an increase in number of cigarettes/day, mg of nicotine and tar and years’ smoking