Correlation of Salivary Leptin and Cotinine Levels with Tobacco Use Status – A Pilot Study

Background: Tobacco cessation strategies are widely used across different clinical set ups that need monitoring their usage status through biomarkers. Leptin and cotinine are two potential biomarkers that can be used to reflect the levels of nicotine among tobacco users. Objectives: The study objective was to assess the effect of chewing and smoking tobacco on expression of salivary leptin and cotinine levels, respectively. Methods: This pilot study group comprised cigarette smokers (CS), ex-cigarette smokers (ECS), tobacco chewers (TC), and ex-tobacco chewers (ETC). The Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) questionnaire and other demographic details assessed the psychological dependence of tobacco users. Leptin and cotinine levels in unstimulated saliva were quantified using ELISA. Results: The normal distribution of the study group was evident with salivary leptin and cotinine levels when analyzed by the Shapiro–Wilk test. Salivary leptin correlated significantly with FTND score ( P < 0.001) in smokers, ex-smokers, and ex-tobacco chewers, as significant as the salivary cotinine levels. Conclusion: These correlations justify assessing leptin as a potential nicotine-independent salivary biomarker in the clinical assessment of tobacco cessation.