Ab. Nia et al., Immunoperoxidase detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in mouth floor and buccal mucosa cells of smokers and nonsmokers, ENV MOL MUT, 36(2), 2000, pp. 127-133
Tobacco smoking is a major risk Factor For oral cancer; mouth floor and buc
cal mucosa are among the most and least cancer-prone subsites, respectively
, in the oral cavity. We investigated the applicability of immunohisiochemi
stry of smoking-induced DNA adducts in oral cells for assessing the exposur
e to carcinogens, and estimating the risk for oral cancer. Polycyclic aroma
tic hydrocarbon (PAH)-DNA adducts were measured in mouth Floor and buccal m
ucosa cells of smokers (n = 26) and nonsmokers (n = 22) by means of a semiq
uantitative immunoperoxidase assay. Smokers had elevated levels of PAH-DNA
adducts compared to nonsmokers in their mouth floor cells (0.045 +/- 0.022
versus 0.022 +/- 0.016, P = 0.0008 arbitrary units of immunohistochemistry)
as well as in their buccal mucosa cells (0.058 +/- 0.028 versus 0.028 +/-
0.012, P = 0.001). Also, there was a correlation between the levels of PAH-
DNA ad-ducts in mouth floor cells and those in buccal mucosa cells (r = 0.4
, P = 0.01). Furthermore, PAH-DNA adduct levels in both mouth floor and buc
cal mucosa cells were significantly related to current smoking indices (amo
unt of tar and number of cigarettes consumed per day). Expectedly, the leve
ls of PAH-DNA adducts neither in mouth floor cells nor in buccal mucosa cel
ls, both being short-lived cells, were related to smoking history index (pa
ck years). The levels of PAH-DNA adducts, however, in mouth floor cells as
the cancer prone cells were lower than those in buccal mucosa cells (0.037
+/- 0.023 versus 0.044 +/- 0.026, P = 0.04). We conclude that immunohistoch
emistry of PAH-DNA adducts in oral cells can be used For exposure assessmen
t of tobacco-related carcinogens, however, it cannot be used for oral cance
r risk estimation. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.