Measuring DNA Damage Among Smokers

Measuring DNA Damage Among Smokers

To the Editors: Ellahueñe et al. (1) wrote in the abstract that ‘‘The objective of this study was to establish if the alkaline SCGE assay in whole blood cells gives similar results as the same method in isolated lymphocytes, because whole blood cells are simpler and more economical to use, specifically in human genotoxic biomonitoring.’’ It sounds strange because either isolated lymphocytes or ...

Measuring of DNA Damage by Quantitative PCR

PCR is an in vitro method of nucleic acid synthesis by which a particular segment of DNA can be specifically replicated. It involves two oligonucleotide primer that flank the DNA fragment to be amplified and repeated cycles of heat denaturation of the DNA, annealing of the primers to their complementary sequences, and extension of the annealed primers with DNA polymerase. Successive cycles of a...

Radiation track and DNA damage

Effect of a 4-month tea intervention on oxidative DNA damage among heavy smokers: role of glutathione S-transferase genotypes.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST), a member of the phase II group of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, has been intensively studied at the levels of phenotype and genotype. The GST mu 1 (GSTM1) and GST theta 1 (GSTT1) genes have a null-allele variant in which the entire gene is absent. The null genotype for both enzymes has been associated with many different types of tumors. The aim of this study...

Single-cell gel (comet) assay detects primary DNA damage in nonneoplastic urothelial cells of smokers and ex-smokers.

A protocol for DNA damage assessment by the single-cell gel (SCG)/comet assay in human urinary bladder washing cells was established. Modifications of the standard alkaline protocol included an increase to 2% of sodium sarcosinate in the lysis solution, a reduction in the glass-slide area for comet analysis, and a cutoff value for comet head diameter of at least 30 microm, to exclude contaminat...