Metabolic pathways and networks associated with tobacco use in military personnel

Objective: The aim of this study is to use high-resolution metabolomics (HRM) to identify metabolic pathways and networks associated with tobacco use in military personnel. Methods: Four hundred deidentified samples obtained from the Department of Defense Serum Repository were classified as tobacco users or nonusers according to cotinine content. HRM and bioinformatic methods were used to determine pathways and networks associated with classification. Results: Eighty individuals were classified as tobacco users compared with 320 nonusers on the basis of cotinine levels at least 10ng/mL. Alterations in lipid and xenobiotic metabolism, and diverse effects on amino acid, sialic acid, and purine and pyrimidine metabolism were observed. Importantly, network analysis showed broad effects on metabolic associations not simply linked to well-defined pathways. Conclusions: Tobacco use has complex metabolic effects that must be considered in evaluation of deployment-associated environmental exposures in military personnel.