Exploratory study on micronuclei and metanuclear abnormalities in exfoliated buccal cells of COVID-19 suspected patients

• Published in: Journal of Cytology
• Main Authors: B Vishnu, Senthil Murugan, Vinoth K Kalidoss, Kishore Sesham, Sarah Ramamurthy, Satvinder S Bakshi, Yuvaraj M Francis, Sankaran Ponnusamy Kasirajan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-01-01
• Subjects: buccal mucosal cells; covid 19; micronuclei
• Online Access: http://www.jcytol.org/article.asp?issn=0970-9371;year=2024;volume=41;issue=1;spage=28;epage=33;aulast=Vishnu

Context: SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID-19 by infecting nasal and oral cavities primarily by attaching its spike proteins to ACE 2 receptors expressed in epithelial cells. Aim: This study was done to evaluate the micronucleated cell count, metanuclear abnormalities, and genotoxic factor in exfoliated buccal mucosal cell among the COVID-19 suspected patients. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted at AIIMS, Mangalagiri, between August and October 2022. Methods: One hundred COVID-19 suspected patients were recruited for this study after obtaining informed and written consent; buccal smear was obtained and stained for papanicolaou test (PAP). The PAP-stained slides were analyzed for micronuclei (MN), pyknotic, karyolytic, and karyorrhexic cell count, respectively. Based on their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) report, the patients were grouped into COVID-19 positive and negative groups. Statistical Analysis: The genotoxicity factor was calculated using the micronucleated cell count from both the groups using mean and standard deviation. Results: The MN, micronucleated cell, pyknotic, karyolitic, and karyorrhexic cell count in COVID-19 positive patients were 24.12, 15.24, 3.08, 2.88 and 4.40, respectively, than COVID-19 negative patients 5.69, 8.17, 1.08, 1.00 and 2.43, respectively. The genotoxicity factor for SARS-CoV-2 was 2.68 which is a positive genotoxic effect on buccal mucosal cells. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 increases the expression of micronucleated cells, pyknotic cells, karyolytic cells, and karyorhexic cells and concludes SARS-CoV-2 is having cytogenotoxic effect on the buccal mucosal cells. This can be used as a reliable marker in identifying the early carcinogenic effects of virus causing COVID-19.