The Micronucleus Test to Evaluate Cytogenetic Damage in Patients with Periodontitis

Background and aims. The role of genetic factors and oxidative damage in the etiopathogenesis of periodontal disease is well documented in the literature. The micronucleus test is a sensitive method that indicates DNA damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate the micronuclei frequency in different forms of periodontitis in comparison with healthy controls. Materials and methods. Micronuclei frequency was analyzed in the peripheral lymphocytes of 10 patients with chronic periodontitis (CP), 10 patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAP) and 10 healthy controls. Various clinical parameters like the probing depth, clinical attachment level, and percentages of sites with bleeding and plaque were recorded. After the slides were processed, they were stained with 5% Geimsa solution and 1000 cells per sample were counted for the presence of micronuclei. Results. The mean micronuclei observed in the control group, CP group, and GAP group were 9.8, 10.1 and 9.9, respectively. The differences between the groups were not significant (P=0.978). Conclusion. The results indicated that the cytogenetic damages in the periodontitis groups were not different from those in the control group. The role of cytogenetic damage in peripheral blood cells may have a limited prognostic value in the etiopathogenesis of periodontal tissues and further studies are necessary to assess cytogenetic damage in periodontal tissues to clarify local tissue destruction in periodontal disease.