Micronucleus - An upcoming marker of genotoxic damage

This study was conceived for the early detection of oral precancer and cancer lesions using a noninvasive reliable technique. Micronucleus assay was performed on oral exfoliated cells of chosen subjects having leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) using fluorescent (Acridine Orange) and conventional (Feulgen) stainings. The results were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman's Correlation and SPSS statistical package. The frequency of mean percentage occurrence of micronucleated cells increased significantly in comparison to controls with leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma. Subjects with synergism of abnormal oral habits also showed increased micronucleated cells. Fluorescent staining was found to be more sensitive than the conventional one for micronucleus detection. The results clearly demonstrate that micronucleus assay in oral exfoliated cells can be used as a simple reliable marker to assess the genotoxicity and for the early diagnosis of premalignant and malignant lesions. Micronucleus assay is, thus, an easy tool for early detection of cancer.