PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ranganadin Pajanivel
AU  - Uma Natarajan
TI  - Smoking induced satellite associations in a rural population of south India
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p1106
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p1106.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p1106.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - A smoker is exposed to a variety of carcinogenic constituents present in cigarettes, making it necessary to analyze the cells at metaphase as these can be a health hazard to the future generations1. Cytogenetic assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes was done to assess the incidence of Satellite Associations among 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers in a rural population of South India. Smokers were divided into three groups based on their Smoking Index (SI): I - SI less than 150, II - SI 150 to 300, III - SI more than 300. An equal number of matched control individuals were selected and Lymphocyte cultures were set up from heparinised blood. The mean frequency of satellite association in smokers belonging to group I, II and III were 45 (44.25±3.30), 53 (53±3.46) and 67 (67±6.22) respectively, whereas the mean frequency of satellite association in non smokers was 29.83% (29.83±1.00). The frequency of Satellite Associations in smokers I, II and III increased with the increase in the frequency of their smoking index than their non smoking counterpart. The students' “t” test (“SSP” software) for satellite association was found to be highly significant at p<0.01 in all the three Smoker Group viz. I, II and III.These findings confirm the genotoxic effect of cigarette smoke on the chromosomes and can be used as a Smoking Cessation Intervention tool.References:1. Falk HL. Chemical agents in cigarette smoke, In: Handbook of Physiology: Reaction to Environmental Agents, DHK Lee (Ed.). Baltimore, MD: Waverly, 1977, pp 199-211.