Exfoliated Oral Mucosal Cell Micronucleus Frequency Evaluation in Healthy Individuals, Tobacco Users, and Patients with Potentially Malignant Disorders: An Analytical Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVE: Assessing the prevalence of exfoliated oral mucosal cell micronuclei in tobacco smokers, healthy persons, and patients with potentially malignant diseases (PMDs). A critical comparative investigation.

MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES: The study included 80 participants divided into four groups: healthy persons, tobacco users without any clinically noticeable oral lesions, patients with leukoplakia, and patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). Each group included 20 participants. Only cases with a verified histological diagnosis of PMDs were considered for evaluating micronuclei (MNi). This included non-smokers with mucosa that seems normal, smokers with mucosa that appears normal, and individuals with leukoplakia and OSMF who were histologically identified.

RESULTS: Compared to controls, smokers and patients with PMDs had much higher MN frequencies, with PMD patients having the highest MN frequency. There was a noticeable rise in MN frequency in the H and E and PAP stains from controls to tobacco users and then to PMD patients, showing a stepwise development. While the difference between tobacco users and PMD patients was only significant with the H and E stain, the inter-group comparisons show significant differences in MN frequency between controls and both tobacco users and PMD patients across both staining techniques. Additionally, the comparison of the H and E and PAP stains reveals that whereas MN frequencies in smokers and controls are typically similar, PMD patients have considerably higher MN frequencies in the H and E stains.

CONCLUSION: In summary, the research indicates that tobacco users have a much higher MN frequency than controls, with an even more pronounced in individuals who have PMDs.