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. 2024 Jan-Mar;41(1):28-33.
doi: 10.4103/joc.joc_53_23. Epub 2023 Dec 28.

Exploratory Study on Micronuclei and Metanuclear Abnormalities in Exfoliated Buccal Cells of COVID-19 Suspected Patients

B Vishnu  1 , Senthil Murugan  2 , Vinoth K Kalidoss  3 , Kishore Sesham  2 , Sarah Ramamurthy  4 , Satvinder S Bakshi  5 , Yuvaraj M Francis  6 , Sankaran Ponnusamy Kasirajan  2
Affiliations

Exploratory Study on Micronuclei and Metanuclear Abnormalities in Exfoliated Buccal Cells of COVID-19 Suspected Patients

B Vishnu et al. J Cytol. 2024 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Buccal mucosal cells; COVID 19; micronuclei.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Exfoliated buccal mucosal cells stained with PAP stain (a) – superficial cells (Black arrow); (a) – keratinized squamous cell (orange arrow); (a) – intermediate cells (blue arrow); (b and c) – Micronucleus (black arrow); (d)- pyknotic nucleus; (e) – karyolitic nucleus; (f) – karyorrhexic nucleus; (g) – binucleated cell
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mitotic division of a cell showing malsegregation of sister chromatids resulting in formation of micronuclei. (a) sister chromatids align and attach to kinetochore; (b) malsegregation of sister chromatids during anaphase; (c) Formation of micronuclei telophase
Figure 3
Figure 3
Possible molecular mechanism in formation of nuclear changes in COVID 19 infection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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