Correlation of the frequency of micronucleated cells with the severity of disease process in oral submucous fibrosis and oral squamous cell carcinoma patients: A descriptive, cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background: Exposure of a cell to carcinogens leads to an increase in the chromosomal aberrations, while such karyotypic anomalies and elevated deoxyribonucleic acid content have been observed in a plethora of oral precancerous lesions and conditions, and are expressed in the form of micronuclei. The aim of the present study was to correlate the frequency of these micronucleated cells (MNCs) with the severity of the disease process in oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients.

Methods: The present cross-sectional, hospital-based study consisted of 150 subjects in an age range from 15 to 80 years including patients who were clinically diagnosed and histopathologically proven as OSMF and OSCC patients, along with age and sex matched, normal, healthy controls. Also, cytological analysis was carried out using the oral exfoliative cytology procedure, while the frequency of MNCs was calculated using a differential counter.

Results: The mean MNC% in the control group was calculated as 0.3% ± 0.35% in the present study as against the mean MNC% of 1.22% ± 0.37% in the OSMF, and 2.0% ± 0.60% in the OSCC groups, while the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Also, the mean MNC% was calculated to be 0.71% ± 0.08% in Stage I OSMF as against 1.31% ± 0.18% and 1.59% ± 0.17% in Stage II and Stage III OSMF, respectively, with the difference being statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Similarly, the difference in the mean MNC% when calculated between the different stages of OSCC was, also, statistically significant ( P < 0.001) with the mean MNC% in Stage I OSCC being 1.15% ± 0.11% as against 1.59% ± 0.25% in Stage II, and 2.23% ± 0.30% in Stage III and 2.68% ± 0.19% in Stage IV OSCC, respectively.

Conclusions: Based on the results obtained in the present study, it can, thus, be concluded that the mean MNC% increased significantly in OSCC patients when compared with the control and OSMF groups, and in the OSMF group in comparison with control group, thus, suggesting micronuclei assay as a useful diagnostic adjunct for screening populations which are at high risk for developing various oral precancerous lesions and conditions, and frank oral cancers.