title: Detection of p16 promotor hypermethylation in "Maras powder" and tobacco users.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Erciyes University, Medical Faculty, Department of Medical Genetics, Kayseri, Turkey. csaatci@erciyes.edu.tr
authors.forename: Cetin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saatci
authors.forename: Ahmet Okay
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Caglayan
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozkul
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tahiri
authors.forename: Ahmet Bulent
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Turhan
authors.forename: Munis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dundar
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D011208:Powders; D004247:DNA