Investigation of genetic instability in patients with Diabetes Mellitus type I, II and LADA using buccal micronucleus cytome assay.

The aim of our pilot study was to investigate the frequency of micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear anomalies in exfoliated cells of the oral mucosa in patients with type I, II, and LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, classified as type 1.5 intermediate, slowly progressing diabetes) types of diabetes mellitus (DM) and compare them with healthy individuals of the Armenian population using the MN test. For each participant essential clinical and biochemical parameters were studied, including blood pressure, duration of illness, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood glucose, plasma glucose, urea, total protein, creatinine, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HOMA-IR (insulin resistance), insulin, and triglycerides, as well as necessary anthropometric, genealogical, and genetic data. All participants were surveyed regarding habits that might affect MN levels, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, hereditary diseases, and viral infections. Cytogenetic analyses of exfoliated cells showed that the level of MN in exfoliated cells of DM patients was elevated approximately two to three times compared to healthy individuals. However, statistical significance was only reached in type I DM and LADA patients. The levels of other nuclear anomalies in the squamous epithelial cells of DM patients were also analyzed, and a significant increase in their levels was observed in all three DM types, indicating cytotoxic and genotoxic effects. The results of this study also revealed a high correlation between the total number of MN, cells with MN, blood glucose concentration, and glycosylated hemoglobin.