ABSTRACT
Infection by human papillomavirus (HPV) is among the main etiologies of cervical cancer. The expression of oncogenic viral proteins enables the onset of the virus, which can trigger the carcinogenic process. One of the main characteristics of this process is the loss of genome stability, including chromosome stability. The micronucleus test is a cytogenetic method for the detection of genetic alterations that change chromosome behavior during cell division resulting in the formation of micronuclei. This method has been applied for the early detection of DNA damage in individuals with a greater likelihood of developing cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between micronucleus expression and the degree of cytological lesions and viral load in patients with HPV. The micronucleus analysis revealed differences in the number micronuclei found in the groups, which ranged from 0.00067 to 0.00133 in the control group and 0.00267 to 0.02433 among patients with HPV. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found in the number of micronucleated cervical cells between the patients and healthy women. Moreover, significant associations were found between micronucleus expression and both the degree of uterine lesions (r2=0.7237; r=0.8507; p=0.000002) and viral load (r2=0.7012; r=0.8374; p=0.000004). The findings demonstrate the efficacy of micronucleus analysis in monitoring risks to human health.
