Micronucleus investigation in buccal mucosal cells among pan masala/gutkha chewers and its relevance for oral cancer

Abstract Micronuclei (MN) have been proposed as good biomarker to assess cytogenetic damage in biomonitoring studies. The analysis of MN in the epithelial cells has been shown to be a sensitive method for monitoring genetic damage in human populations. MN formation has been observed in pre-cancerous lesions of the oral cavity of pan masala and gutkha chewers. Increased cytogenetic damage has been observed in peripheral blood lymphocytes and exfoliated buccal mucosal cells of pan masala chewers. MN frequency obtained in case of pan masala/ gutkha chewers is very high as compared to control, which clearly indicates that chewers are at high risk for developing oral cancer