Comparing DNA damage in fresh versus frozen blood from healthy individuals and patients with obesity in Egypt

Abstract

The use of alkaline comet assay has increased in DNA damage assessment in various non-communicable diseases and epidemiological studies, which, in turn, requires a large sample size. Our objective is to compare the damage of DNA using comet assay in healthy individuals versus patients with obesity and to evaluate the feasibility of using frozen whole blood samples as a simple solution for the need for large sample size. Based on this study and previous literature, using frozen whole blood samples in the comet assay technique is a simple and feasible approach that can be readily applied in biomonitoring and epidemiological studies. Furthermore, this study compared comet tail length in healthy individuals and patients with obesity, revealing greater DNA damage in patients with obesity samples, which denotes a higher risk of mutations, chromosomal abnormalities, and cancer. Further enhancements and validation are recommended for technique improvement, and further studies of DNA damage in various non-communicable diseases, including obesity, are also recommended.