Micronuclei frequencies in exfoliated buccal mucosal cells of individuals with normal mucosa, tobacco habits and oral potentially malignant disorder

Micronuclei are extensively used in molecular epidemiology as a biomarker of chromosomal damage, genomic instability and to assess cancer risk. Objectives: To assess the utility of micronucleus assay as a biomarker of genotoxicity among individuals with tobacco habits and oral potentially malignant disorder.

We evaluated the frequencies of micronucleated cells (MNC) in the buccal mucosal cells in 19 cases of oral potentially malignant disorder (leukoplakia) and compared with 32 cases of tobacco habit controls (tobacco in any form and without any lesions) and 20 cases of normal control group with no habits and lesions. Exfoliated buccal mucosal cells were transferred to slides and were stained by freshly prepared giemsa stain. The analysis of micronuclei per 1000 cells was performed with a compound binocular microscope (objective with magnification of 40 X). The results were statistically analysed using SPSS 15 and non-parametric tests like Kruskal-Wallis test and Man-Whitney U test were used with a significance level of.05.

Significantly elevated frequencies of micronucleated cells were observed from normal (1.95%) tobacco habit (4.26%) and oral potentially malignant disorder groups (5.05%).

Micronucleus assay using exfoliated buccal mucosal cells is easy, non invasive, sensitive and reliable for assessing genotoxicity level in patients with potentially malignant disorders and tobacco habits.