Passive- and active-cigarette smoking: Effects on the levels of antioxidant vitamins, immunoglobulin classes and acute phase reactants

Abstract

The levels of plasma immunoglobulin classes (IgG, A and M) and acute phase proteins (α 2- macroglobulin (A2MG), C-reactive protein (CRP)) were determined using single radial immunodiffusion method. Also, determined in the plasma of the subjects were antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C and E) using spectrophotometric method. The participants were 30 subjects who had never smoked and not exposed to cigarette smoke (non smokers), 30 who had smoked at least 15 cigarettes per day for at least five years (active smokers) and 30 who had been exposed to cigarette smoke at least 2 cigarette/day on ≥5 days/wk for at least 5 years (passive smokers). Plasma levels of IgG, IgM, CRP and A2MG were significantly raised (p<0.05), while vitamins C and E (p<0.05) were significantly reduced in active smokers when compared with the controls. The plasma levels of CRP and A2MG were significantly raised (p<0.05), while vitamins C and E were significantly reduced (p<0.05) in passive smokers when compared with the controls. The levels of CRP and antioxidant vitamins were similar in active and passive smokers. This study suggested that, exposure to passive as well as active cigarette smoking cause’s inflammation as well as vitamin deficiency.

Key words: Cigarette smoke, inflammation, oxidative stress, acute phase proteins, immunoglobulin classes.