title: Nuclear abnormalities in cells from nasal epithelium: a promising assay to evaluate DNA damage related to air pollution in infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study intends to provide a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to assess nuclear abnormalities such as micronuclei and bud frequencies; binucleated, karyorrhectic, karyolytic, pycnotic, and condensed chromatin cells in nasal scrapings of infants, which are particularly important for conducting genotoxic studies related to the inhaled atmosphere in pediatric populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasal swab samples were collected from 40 infants under 12 months of age using a small cytobrush. 2,000 cells from each infant sample were analyzed and classified according to the frequency of nuclear abnormalities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rates of nuclear abnormalities found agree with values reported in other studies of neonates and children. This study found 0.13% of cells with micronuclei; 1.20% karyorrhexis; 0.03% pyknosis; 10.85% karyolysis; 1.11% condensed chromatin; 0.54 binucleated cells; and 0.02% nuclear bud. Differences were not observed between genders or environmental passive smoking, nor was any age correlation found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assay proposed here is suitable for assessing the frequency of nuclear abnormalities from nasal cells in infants.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: michimerg@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mergener
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rhoden
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Amantéa
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D004249:DNA Damage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015162:Micronucleus Tests / Q000379:methods; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution
keywords: Crianças de um a três anos; Células nasais; Ensaio de micronúcleos; Environmental health; Infants; Micronuclei assay; Nasal cells; Neonatos; Saúde ambiental; Toddlers