Detection of p16 promotor hypermethylation in "Maras powder" and tobacco users.
BACKGROUND
A plant powder called "Maras powder" is widely used instead of cigarette smoking in the South-Eastern region of Turkey. It has been confirmed that this powder comprises tobacco Nicotiana rustica L.


METHODS
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Maras powder and cigarette smoking on the P16 promotor hypermethylation. Twenty-two Maras powder users (Group I), 12 cigarette smokers (Group II), and 16 healthy controls who neither smoked nor used Maras powder (Group III) were included in the study. Hypermethylation of the P16 gene was examined using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) method in the blood of the three groups.


RESULTS
Aberrant P16 methylation was found in 7 of the 22 (31.8%) in Group I, in 3 of 12 (25%) in Group II, and in 1 of 16 (6.25%) in Group III.


CONCLUSIONS
Maras powder may be as harmful as cigarette smoking, leading to hypermethylation in P16 and warrants detailed studies on this subject.
Saatci
Cetin
C
Erciyes University, Medical Faculty, Department of Medical Genetics, Kayseri, Turkey. csaatci@erciyes.edu.tr
Caglayan
Ahmet Okay
AO
Ozkul
Yusuf
Y
Tahiri
Serpil
S
Turhan
Ahmet Bulent
AB
Dundar
Munis
M
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019942:Genes, p16 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011208:Powders; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
D011208:Powders; D004247:DNA