Effects of alcohol on micronucleus in human exfoliated buccal cells

Background: Oral cancer is the most common malignancy in nearly half of Indian population. The main causes of oral carcinoma are tobacco, alcohol, poor diet and infective agents. These agents damage the chromosomes to form several secondary nuclei known as micronuclei. This study identifies the occurrence of micronuclei and also evaluates the frequency of micronuclei in stained smears of oral exfoliative cells from healthy subjects and alcoholic subjects. Materials and methods: A total number of 60 alcoholic subjects were referred to the Department of Anatomy, SRM Medical College and Research Center, SRM Nagar for micronucleus assay from the Department of Dentistry. Equal numbers of controls were included with normal looking oral cavities. Results: Out of 60 alcoholic subjects 43 showed presence of micronuclei and out of 60 control subjects, only 6 showed micronuclei. With these observations, alcohol is one of the predisposing factors of oral carcinoma. Conclusion: It is evident from our present study, it is clear that in alcohol consumption, the buccal mucosa, which are at high risk for development of oral cancer, show an increase in the MN frequencies.