Monitoring genotoxic damage in tobacco chewers using buccal mucosal cells: A comparative study

Abstract

Deleterious changes in the genetic material of an individual, caused by various genotoxic substances, leads to various severe anomalies and cancers. Cancer may develop either due to carcinogens (environmental factors) or due to cancer causing genes called oncogenes (genetic factors). Nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nicotine are some carcinogens found in tobacco which causes oral cancer. These carcinogens are more effective in increasing the risk of cancer in case of chewing tobacco, as they directly come in contact with vestibule. Present research was conducted on 10 tobacco chewers and 30 control subjects. Slides were prepared from their buccal mucosal cells by cell suspension technique given by Nersesyan et al, 2006. Slides shows Binucleated cells (BN), Micronucleated cells (MN) and Karyolytic cells. The frequencies of Binucleated cells (BN) and Micronucleated cells (MN) are higher in tobacco chewers than non-tobacco chewers indicating high prevalence of nuclear abnormalities in tobacco chewers in comparison to non-tobacco chewers.