Micronucleus assay in patients with lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and non-smoker control

ABSTRACT

This study included 96 male subjects; 40 patients with lung cancer, 36 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and 20 control subjects. 25% of cases with lung cancer and 86.1% of cases with COPD had micronucleus [MN] frequency ranging <5-<15 MN/500 cytokinesis blocked [CB] binucleated cells compared with 100% in the control group. 40% of cases with lung cancer and 13.9% of cases with COPD had 15-20 MN/500 CB binucleated cells. 35% of cases with lung cancer had 20-25 MN/500 CB binucleated cells. These differences were statistically significant. In the lung cancer group, the mean MN/500 CB binucleated cells was 18.4 +/- 4.2, in the group with COPD, it was 8.3 +/- 4.1 with 8 patients having MN in the cancer range, i.e. 12-17. The mean MN/500 CB binucleated cells in the control group was 5.4 +/- 2.5. These differences were statistically significant. All cases with lung cancer and 63.9% of cases with COPD had a mean MN frequency greater than 95% CI of the mean MN frequency for the control group. Applying logistic regression analysis for the effect of risk factors revealed that lung cancer patients, who were current or ex- smokers, had significantly higher MN frequencies than patients with COPD