ELEVATED MUTAGEN SUSCEPTIBILITY IN CULTURED LYMPHOCYTES OF ORAL-CANCER PATIENTS

Mitomycin C (MMC)-induced lymphocytic sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency was studied in 40 oral cancer (OC) patients, 40 normal tobac co chewers (NC) and in 40 normal healthy individuals not consuming tob acco/areca nut in any form. Significantly higher MMC-induced SCE/cell values were observed among OC patients as compared to healthy non-chew er controls as well as NC. Although the mean SCE frequency for NC was comparable to that of healthy controls, three individuals showed an SC E rate higher than the highest observed among controls. The comparable frequency of the tobacco habit in these three individuals with that o f the rest of the thirty-seven individuals indicated the possible invo lvement of factors other than tobacco consumption for the higher susce ptibility to mutagens.