Levels of the adducts of 4-aminobiphenyl to hemoglobin in control subjects and bladder carcinoma patients.

We determined the hemoglobin adduct levels of one aromatic amine of cigarette smoke, 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP), in smoking controls and in patients with transitional cell bladder carcinoma. Covalently bound 4-ABP was measured by capillary gas-chromatography and negative-ion chemical ionization mass-spectrometry, using deuterated 4-ABP as internal standard. Smoking was quantified measuring the urinary excretion of cotinine. Thirteen cases and controls were paired for urinary cotinine levels. Bladder carcinoma patients had slightly higher levels of 4-ABP hemoglobin adducts than controls (means +/- S.D. were 103 +/- 47 and 65 +/- 44, respectively). This difference was significant using a t-test for paired samples (P = 0.04) and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis rank analysis (P = 0.033).