Micronucleus Assay in Cell Phone Users: Importance of Oral Mucosa Screening

Abstract

Abstract Summary

Overview

The study focuses on assessing the impact of prolonged exposure to cellphone radiation, potentially harmful and carcinogenic, on the oral mucosa of users. Particularly, it investigates the correlation between cellphone usage and the presence of micronucleus in buccal cells.

Methods

• A descriptive study involving selected patients from the Islamic Azad University Faculty of Dentistry.
• Participants were selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria related to cell phone usage.
• Mucosal smears were stained using the Papanicolaou method.
• Data was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis, aiming for a significance level of less than 0.05.

Findings

Analysis of 100 samples indicated that:

• The frequency of micronucleus containing cells was calculated at 2.94% ± 1.89%.
• Frequency of micronucleus per cell averaged to 1.02% ± 1.68%.
• Significant statistical correlation exists between the amount of cellphone use and the frequency of micronuclei in both overall and per-cell measurements (r=0.70, P=0.0001 and r=0.57, P=0.0001, respectively).
• Age and sex were found not to significantly affect the frequencies.

Conclusion

The increased cellphone usage correlates significantly with higher frequencies of micronuclei in oral mucosal cells, pointing to potential carcinogenic risks associated with cellphone radiation exposure.