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.