Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35821735›Full record

ArticleTobacco regulatory science2020

Are Urine Propylene Glycol or Vegetable Glycerin Markers of E-cigarette Use or Abstinence?

Marzena Hiler, Alison Breland, Carl E Wolf, Justin L Poklis, Carrol R Nanco, Thomas Eissenberg

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Tobacco regulatory science, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Abuse Liability of Electronic Cigarettes in Never-Smoking Electronic Cigarette Users.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2025
    Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marzena HilerVirginia Commonwealth University, Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Richmond, VA.
Alison BrelandVirginia Commonwealth University, Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Richmond, VA.
Carl E WolfDepartment of Pathology, Health Systems, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Justin L PoklisDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Carrol R NancoDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Thomas EissenbergVirginia Commonwealth University, Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Richmond, VA.
Virginia Commonwealth University · US

Funding

Training and Education Core p270-287P50DA036105 · NIDA · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI EISSENBERG, THOMAS EVAN · 2013 to 2017
$19.2M
VCU Center for Drug Addiction ResearchP30DA033934 · NIDA · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI Matthew Sean Halquist · 2014 to 2026
$13.8M
An evaluation of electronic cigarettes with low heater resistance: Understanding plasma nicotine concentration, puff topography, subjective effects and reasons for useF31DA044707 · NIDA · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · PI HILER, MARZENA M. · 2019 to 2019
$16k
NIDA NIH HHS F31 DA044707NIDA NIH HHS P30 DA033934NIDA NIH HHS P50 DA036105
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: Urine propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) were evaluated as potential markers for discriminating ECIG users from non-users and verifying ECIG abstinence. Methods: Urine samples from 51 ECIG users (collected pre/post 12-hours ECIG abstinence), and 50 controls (who do not use nicotine/tobacco) were analyzed for urine cotinine, PG, and VG concentration. Results: Of 42 ECIG users with pre-abstinence urine cotinine indicating nicotine use, mean (SD) urine cotinine concentration was 1053.7 ng/ml (874.5) and for controls was 1.93 ng/ml (0.4); after abstinence, ECIG users' mean cotinine decreased to 615.4 ng/ml (753.0). For ECIG users, mean urine PG pre-abstinence was 25.6 mcg/ml (20.0) and was 9.8 mcg/ml (13.5) for controls; after abstinence, ECIG users' mean urine PG decreased to 9.7 mcg/ml (15.0; ps < .05). For ECIG users, mean urine VG pre-abstinence was 7.5 mcg/ml (7.1) and was 13.2 mcg/ml (25.0) for controls; after abstinence, ECIG users' mean VG decreased to 5.0 mcg/ml (4.4; ps < .05). Conclusions: ECIG users' mean urine PG was greater than controls and decreased after 12-hours ECIG abstinence suggesting urine PG may be useful for discriminating ECIG users from non-users and verifying short-term abstinence.

Indexed as

biomarkere-cigaretteelectronic cigarettepropylene glycolvegetable glycerin

Identifiers

PMID35821735
PMCPMC9273112
OpenAlexW3045058250

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.