Micronuclei in Exfoliated Oral Epithelial Cells in Tobacco Users and Controls with Various Oral Lesions: A Study from Gujarat, India

Effect of Age, Hot Beverages and Tobacco Related Products on Buccal Epithelial Cells of Cigarette Smokers and non-Smokers in Ajman, UAE

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to find out the effect of age, hot beverages and tobacco related products on buccal mucosa cells between cigarette smokers and non-smokers in Ajman, UAE.

METHODS

A total of 122 samples were collected, with demographic data including age, hot beverage consumption, cigarette smoking and other tobacco practice using pre-designed questionnaires. Buccal cells were collected, stained, and screened for micronuclei (MN) under a microscope and two evaluators independently assessed all the slides.

RESULTS

Among the 122 participants, 61.5% were aged ≤35 years, and 38.5% were aged >35 years. All non-smokers had MN values <10, while 87% of smokers had MN values >10 (p<0.001), with a trend of dose-dependent relationship between cigarette consumption and MN frequency. Similar patterns were observed in individuals using other forms of tobacco, with 97.4% exhibiting MN values >10 (p<0.001). Hot beverage consumption ≥7 cups/day was associated with 87% of subjects having MN values >10, highlighting the pattern of alternative forms of tobacco and high consumption of hot beverages association with elevated MN occurrence. Significant associations were found between MN and variables, except for age.

CONCLUSION

The findings underscore the significance of tobacco and hot beverage consumption in MN occurrence, emphasizing the need to address these behaviors to mitigate genotoxicity and associated health risks. Despite age showing no significant correlation with MN frequency within the studied age range, aging combined with cigarette smoking amplifies genetic damage.
.

State of art of micronuclei assay in exfoliative cytology as a clinical biomarker of genetic damage in oral carcinogenesis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral malignancy, often preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). Currently, no clinical biomarker exists to predict malignancy, necessitating OPMD follow-up. Habits and environmental factors, such as smoking, and alcohol consumption, influence OSCC onset. Increased micronuclei (MNs) formation has been observed in the development of OSCC. Non-invasive diagnostic tests like exfoliative cytology offer painless and regular monitoring options. This study evaluates the impact of tobacco, alcohol, and pesticide exposure on MNs occurrence in exfoliative cytology-collected oral mucosal cells, assessing their potential as non-invasive biomarker for OSCC development prediction and monitoring in high-risk patients. Despite results from this meta-analysis supporting the existence of a stepwise increase from controls to patients with OPMD to OSCC, the translation of these findings into clinical practice is limited due to intra- and inter-individual heterogeneity, as well as methodological variability in MNs quantification. Various factors contribute to this heterogeneity, including demographic variables, methodological variability of different laboratories, staining techniques, sample collection location, and patient characteristics. All these points were discussed to provide further insights and improve standardization for future studies.

Assessment of Genotoxic Biomarker in Tongue and Buccal Mucosal Epithelial Cells of COVID-19 Patients: An Observational Study

INTRODUCTION

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the main host cell receptor for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is highly expressed in the tongue and buccal mucosa. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate genotoxic changes in epithelial cells of the buccal and tongue mucosa following COVID-19 infection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 40 patients aged 25-40 years, divided into two groups: Group 1 (control group) included 20 healthy individuals with no prior history of COVID-19 infection subdivided into Group 1a (buccal mucosa), and Group 1b (tongue mucosa); Group 2 (case group) included 20 patients with a history of mild to moderate COVID-19 infection subdivided into Group 2a (buccal mucosa) and Group 2b (tongue mucosa). Genotoxic biomarkers, such as the number of micronuclei, pyknosis, karyolysis, and karyorrhexis, were assessed in epithelial cells from the buccal mucosa and the ventral surface of the tongue. Analysis of variance was used for intragroup comparisons, followed by post-hoc analysis using Tukey's test.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 27.4±6.52 years. Statistically significant differences were observed between cases and controls in the number of micronuclei, pyknosis, karyolysis, and karyorrhexis in the epithelial cells of the buccal and tongue mucosa (p = 0.05).

CONCLUSION

SARS-CoV-2 has pronounced genotoxic effects on the epithelium of the ventral surface of the tongue in comparison to the buccal mucosa Therefore, patients with COVID-19 should be monitored regularly to develop future carcinomas, particularly those with habits of smoking, alcohol consumption, and tobacco usage.

Oral cytological changes in young adults related to alcohol consumption

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to investigate the oral cytological changes in young adults with recent history of alcohol consumption, as well as its relation with the consumption of alcohol.

DESIGN

The sample included 67 young adults, who performed a smear of the oral mucosa and answered a questionnaire about recent and lifetime consumption of alcohol and other drugs. The methods used were sensitive to show the association between alcohol consumption and other drugs with the damage to oral cavity cells.

RESULTS

DNA fragmentation index, mitochondrial functionality and cell viability, showed a significant difference between alcohol users and nonusers. However, there was no distinction between these parameters and different frequency consumption. Alcohol consumption, economic class and use of illicit drugs were related to the cytological parameters evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS

This result shows the existence of cell damages among the evaluated students and can direct future studies towards more in-depth investigations of the mechanisms involved.

Oral cancer diagnosis and perspectives in India

Globally, oral cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer with India contributing to almost one-third of the total burden and the second country having the highest number of oral cancer cases. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) dominates all the oral cancer cases with potentially malignant disorders, which is also recognized as a detectable pre-clinical phase of oral cancer. Tobacco consumption including smokeless tobacco, betel-quid chewing, excessive alcohol consumption, unhygienic oral condition, and sustained viral infections that include the human papillomavirus are some of the risk aspects for the incidence of oral cancer. Lack of knowledge, variations in exposure to the environment, and behavioral risk factors indicate a wide variation in the global incidence and increases the mortality rate. This review describes various risk factors related to the occurrence of oral cancer, the statistics of the distribution of oral cancer in India by various virtues, and the socio-economic positions. The various conventional diagnostic techniques used routinely for detection of the oral cancer are discussed along with advanced techniques. This review also focusses on the novel techniques developed by Indian researchers that have huge potential for application in oral cancer diagnosis.