Determination of Genotoxic Damage by Comet Assay in Smokers

Abstract

The clinical course of most diseases related to smoking has a strong relationship with genotoxicity. In this study, the researchers aimed to compare DNA damage of smokers and non-smokers to determine the genotoxic risk. In total, 50 volunteers were included in this study; 30 of them smokers and 20 of them forming the non-smoker control group. Peripheral blood samples taken from the volunteers were deternfined with comet assay. The researchers determined the DNA damage ratio as 12, 75 (7. 14) from smokers 10, 41 (3.41) from nonsmokers (p> 0.05), and also higher DNA damage in male smokers than female ones (p<0. 05). There was no correlation between age and DNA damage. In conclusion, there was no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers.in terms of DNA damage, but there were some important changes in the DNA of smokers and genomic instability was adversely affected.