Comparative Evaluation of Micronuclei in Exfoliated Urothelial Cells in Patients with Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco-associated Lesions: A Prospective Quantitative Study

Abstract

Objective: To clinically evaluate various tobacco-associated lesions and to evaluate and compare the micronucleus (MN) assay in exfoliated urothelial cells in patients with smoking and smokeless tobacco-associated lesions. Materials and methods:This study was conducted in the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Mission's Dental College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, from October 2012 to June 2013. One hundred cases having tobacco habits (smoking or smokeless) and clinically detectable tobacco-associated lesions were included. Exfoliated urothelial cytosmears were prepared, stained with Papanicolaou and slides were scored for MN.Results: All cases (n = 100) were found to have tobaccoassociated lesions that were clinically detectable. Voided urine samples were collected from all cases (n = 100) who indulged in smoking and smokeless tobacco habit, with males (n = 71) and females (n = 29), whose ages ranged from 19 to 75 years. We observed that out of the 100 cases evaluated, 12 cases showed the presence of MN in the urine cytosmear. Of these 12 cases, n = 10 were bidi smokers and n = 2 were betel quid chewers. Owing to insufficient population of urothelial cells in the cytosmear, MN evaluation could not be statistically proved. Conclusion:Although, MN score in the urothelial cells could not be statistically assessed, due to insufficient number of urothelial cells, our observations reveal that MN count seems to be increased in smokers than smokeless tobacco users. Thus, we urge the need for further studies to highlight the comparative evaluation of MN score between smokers and smokeless tobacco on urothelial cells.