SMOKING GENOTOXICITY IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES USING THE COMET ASSAY

Abstract Background: Smoking has been shown to have a positive effect on DNA damage in almost all the cells of the body. Quantitative analysis of this damage will help in assessing the etiopathogenesis of various nicotine induced damage to the body. Comet assay has been an emerging tool in this regard and hence was applied by us to estimate the severity of DNA damage in smokers. Aims & Objectives: To evaluate the DNA genotoxicity in peripheral blood lymphocytes in smokers and their comparison with non smokers & assess the quantitative damage. Materials and methods: 30 smokers & 20 non smokers were recruited & their peripheral blood was taken for the comet assay to look for Olive moment & Tail moment to quantitatively assess the DNA damage due to cigarette smoking. Results: In our study there was no significant difference in the analysis of DNA damage (with regard to tail moment & olive moment) in smokers versus non smokers (P value: more than 0.05). Conclusions: Though smoking is known to cause DNA damage, we did not find significant differences between the two groups probably due to other multifactorial etiologies for genotoxicity.