Effect of betel chewing on the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges in pregnant women and women using oral contraceptives

Comparison of the frequency of sister chromatid exchange in pan chewers and oral submucous fibrosis patients

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) test is a sensitive, biomarker of genotoxic substances. The frequency of SCE in lymphocytes of ten pan chewing patients, oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) patients and age matched healthy controls were investigated. The frequency of mean SCE/cell was found to be 10.428 ± 0.755 in OSF patients, 8.752 ± 0.383 in case of pan chewers as compared to 5.912 ± 0.310 in controls. These values show a significant increase in frequency of SCE/cell in OSF patients and pan chewers when compared with that of healthy controls. There is a positive correlation co-efficient of SCE/cell with frequency, quantity, duration, intensity and period of exposure of pan-parag to oral mucosa in pan chewers and OSF patients indicating genotoxic effect of pan. Thus SCE could be used as a biomarker in chewers also to assess the level of genomic damage and to advocate efficient control measures.

Panmucositis and chemosensitisation associated with betel quid chewing during dose-dense adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy

PURPOSE

The severity of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis has previously been reported to be greater in patients who chew betel quid (areca), an addictive habit shared by hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. Here, we report a case of fulminant panmucositis complicating dose-dense adjuvant breast cancer treatment in a betel-chewing patient without evidence of other risk factors.

METHODS

Grade IV mucositis was triggered by the initial use of standard-dose anthracycline chemotherapy, and involved not only the mouth but also the genital and anal mucosa, as well as other severe non-mucosal toxicities.

RESULTS

Despite subsequent treatment with dose-reduced CMF and docetaxel regimens-which are seldom associated with mucosal toxicity at these dose intensities in the absence of neutropenia-high-grade oral mucositis continued to complicate the therapeutic course.

CONCLUSION

These observations suggest that the potentiation of chemotherapy-induced mucositis by quid chewing may not be mediated solely by local effects on the oral epithelium, but also involves the systemic absorption of toxic chemosensitising molecules.

Cytogenetic surveillance of tobacco-areca nut (mava) chewers, including patients with oral cancers and premalignant conditions

Three cytogenetic endpoints were studied in non-chewing healthy controls and 3 groups of tobacco-areca nut chewers, viz. normal chewers, chewers with oral submucous fibrosis and chewers with oral cancer. Frequencies of sister-chromatid exchanges and chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes and of micronucleated cells in exfoliated buccal mucosa were evaluated. All the parameters showed statistically significant elevations in all 3 groups of chewers compared to the controls. The data indicate possible application of the parameters as sensitive endpoints for monitoring tobacco-areca nut chewers, the group of individuals at higher risk of developing oral cancer, the commonest cancer among Indian males.

Sister chromatid exchanges in patients with oral submucous fibrosis

The incidence of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) was investigated in the lymphocyte chromosomes of 45 patients with oral submucous fibrosis and 56 age- and sex-matched nonsmoking controls. The frequency of SCE was 9.26 +/- 2.15 in patients with oral submucous fibrosis, which was significantly higher than the mean SCE value of 5.49 +/- 1.24 observed in normal controls. The frequency of SCE in patients with oral submucous fibrosis addicted to the habit of betel with tobacco chewing, "bidi"/cigarette smoking and combined habits of chewing and smoking of tobacco were 8.12 +/- 1.69, 9.43 +/- 1.87, and 10.06 +/- 2.28, respectively. These values were also significantly higher as compared with the SCE values observed in normal controls.

Constitutive heterochromatin polymorphism and chromosome damage in viral hepatitis

The frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were scored in relation to constitutive heterochromatin in 100 patients with viral hepatitis B, 100 patients with viral hepatitis A and 100 age- and sex-matched normal controls. 23.4%, 15% and 4% of the cells showed chromosomal aberrations in patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis A and normal controls respectively. Non-random involvement of chromosomal aberrations were also noted in chromosome 1 of patients with hepatitis B and A as compared to normal controls. The frequencies of SCEs (mean +/- S.D.) were found to be 10.40 +/- 2.83 in hepatitis B and 8.70 +/- 2.34 in hepatitis A. These values were significantly higher than the SCE frequency (mean +/- S.D.) of 5.88 +/- 2.25 observed in normal controls (P less than 0.001). The intra-chromosomal distribution of SCEs revealed a relatively increased incidence of SCEs in chromosome 1 of patients with hepatitis B and A as compared to normal controls. Analysis of constitutive heterochromatin polymorphism showed chromosome 1 qh+ to be the most frequent variant in patients with hepatitis B and A as compared to normal controls. The increased involvement of C-band variant 1 qh+ in patients with hepatitis B and A as compared to normal controls may indicate that extra heterochromatin offers additional sites for viral integration.

Sister chromatid exchanges in the lymphocytes of patients with oral leukoplakia

The incidence of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) was investigated in lymphocyte chromosomes of 59 patients with oral leukoplakia and 65 age- and sex-matched nonsmoking controls. The frequency of SCE was found to be 8.61 +/- 1.89 in patients with oral leukoplakia, which was significantly higher than the mean SCE value of 5.58 +/- 1.26 observed in normal controls. The frequency of SCE in patients with oral leukoplakia addicted to the single habit of betel with tobacco chewing, bidi/cigarette smoking, and combined habits of chewing and smoking of tobacco were found to be 7.95 +/- 1.63, 8.17 +/- 1.66, and 9.23 +/- 2.14, respectively. These values were also significantly higher as compared to the SCE values observed in normal controls.