title: Increased frequency of micronuclei in the lymphocytes of patients chronically infected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus.
abstract: In this study, we analysed the frequency of micronuclei (MN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) and nuclear buds (NBUDs) and evaluated mutagen-induced sensitivity in the lymphocytes of patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). In total, 49 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (28 HBV-infected and 21 HCV-infected patients) and 33 healthy, non-infected blood donor controls were investigated. The frequencies (‰) of MN, NPBs and NBUDs in the controls were 4.41 ± 2.15, 1.15 ± 0.97 and 2.98 ± 1.31, respectively. The frequencies of MN and NPBs were significantly increased (p < 0.0001) in the patient group (7.01 ± 3.23 and 2.76 ± 2.08, respectively) compared with the control group. When considered separately, the HBV-infected patients (7.18 ± 3.57) and HCV-infected patients (3.27 ± 2.40) each had greater numbers of MN than did the controls (p < 0.0001). The HCV-infected patients displayed high numbers of NPBs (2.09 ± 1.33) and NBUDs (4.38 ± 3.28), but only the HBV-infected patients exhibited a significant difference (NPBs = 3.27 ± 2.40, p < 0.0001 and NBUDs = 4.71 ± 2.79, p = 0.03) in comparison with the controls. Similar results were obtained for males, but not for females, when all patients or the HBV-infected group was compared with the controls. The lymphocytes of the infected patients did not exhibit sensitivity to mutagen in comparison with the lymphocytes of the controls (p = 0.06). These results showed that the lymphocytes of patients who were chronically infected with HBV or HCV presented greater chromosomal instability.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, CuiabáMT, Brasil, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso , Cuiabá , MT , Brasil.
authors.forename: Samantha Therezinha Almeida Pereira
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Brasil, CuiabáMT, Brasil, Instituto de Biociências , Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso , Cuiabá , MT , Brasil.
authors.forename: Marilene Borges da
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, CuiabáMT, Brasil, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso , Cuiabá , MT , Brasil.
authors.forename: Marco Andrey
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pepato
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, CuiabáMT, Brasil, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso , Cuiabá , MT , Brasil.
authors.forename: Francisco José Dutra
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Souto
authors.affiliation: Universidade de Franca, FrancaSP, Universidade de Franca , Franca , SP , Brasil, Brasil.
authors.forename: Raquel Alves dos
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, CuiabáMT, Brasil, Faculdade de Medicina , Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso , Cuiabá , MT , Brasil.
authors.forename: Carmen Lucia
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Bassi-Branco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D004249:DNA Damage; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult