Is micronucleus assay in nasal mucosa cells an appropriate technique for detecting genotoxins by inhalation in humans? A systematic review

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate the scientific literature on the micronucleus assay in nasal mucosa as an appropriate method for evaluating genotoxicity caused by chemical agents. According to the PRISMA guidelines, only in vivo human studies with micronucleus assays using nasal cells were considered. Reviews, case reports, editorials, letters to the editor, and articles not written in English were excluded. The following scientific databases/search engines were used: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science. Results: This review included 13 studies. Four articles detected no statistical significance regarding the frequency of micronuclei while nine articles showed an increase in micronuclei in nasal cells. In the qualitative analysis, two articles were considered strong, eight were moderate and three were weak. The micronucleus assay using nasal mucosa cells is a sensitive and effective technique for assessing DNA damage and an appropriate method for monitoring humans continuously exposed to chemicals.

KEYWORDS:

• Nasal cells
• micronucleus assay
• chemicals
• genetic damage

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and materials

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Authors contribution

Study design: GWBD, and DAR. Data search: GWBD, and DAR. Data Interpretation: all authors. Writing the paper: all authors.

Additional information

Funding

DAR thanks CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico) for productivity fellowships.