CIGARETTE-SMOKING, INTRACELLULAR VITAMIN DEFICIENCY, AND OCCURRENCE OF MICRONUCLEI IN EPITHELIAL-CELLS OF THE BUCCAL MUCOSAL

The study focuses on the assessment of chromosomal damage associated w ith folate and vitamin B-12 deficiency, and with cigarette smoking in a tissue directly exposed to cigarette smoke (buccal mucosa) while con trolling for potential confounding factors, A cross-sectional study wa s carried out among 39 current smokers (CSs) and 60 noncurrent smokers (NCSs), Buccal mucosal cells, saliva, and blood samples were collecte d from each subject, The Health Habits and History Questionnaire (Bloc k et al., 1986) was modified to obtain dietary and other relevant info rmation, Methods used to measure folate, vitamin B-12 levels, and the frequency of micronucleated cells in buccal mucosal cells gave reprodu cible results, The study results suggest that CSs have buccal mucosal folate and vitamin B-12 levels that are lower than those among NCSs. C Ss were three times more likely to have micronucleated buccal mucosal cells compared to NCSs, There appeared to be no association between lo w buccal mucosal folate and vitamin B-12 levels and chromosomal damage , The salivary vitamin B-12 concentrations and plasma vitamin C and E concentrations, however, seem to be marginally protective against the occurrence of buccal mucosal micronuclei, whereas plasma beta-carotene seems to increase the occurrence of micronuclei. Overall, the results do not support the concept that localized folate and vitamin B-12 def iciencies in the buccal mucosal cells of smokers are associated with c hromosomal damage in those cells, The presence of vitamin B-12 in the immediate environment (saliva) and vitamin C and E in the plasma, howe ver, appear to be marginally protective against chromosomal damage in buccal mucosal cells.