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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #194760
Title: CHRONIC CIGARETTE SMOKING IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIMINISHED FOLATE STATUS, ALTERED FOLATE FORM DISTRIBUTION, AND INCREASED GENETIC DAMAGE IN THE BUCCAL MUCOSA OF HEALTHY ADULTS

Author
item GABRIEL-WOODWARD, HELEN - TUFTS/HNRCA
item CROTT, JIMMY - TUFTS/HNRCA
item GHANDOUR, HAIFA - TUFTS/HNRCA
item Choi, Sang-Woon
item Dallal, Gerald
item KEYES, MARY - TUFTS/HNRCA
item JANG, HYERAN - TUFTS/HNRCA
item LIU, ZHENHUA - TUFTS/HNRCA
item NADEAU, MARIE - TUFTS/HNRCA
item JOHNSTON, ABBEY - TUFTS/HNRCA
item MAGER, DONNA - TUFTS/HNRCA
item Mason, Joel

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/2/2006
Publication Date: 4/1/2006
Citation: Gabriel-Woodward, H.E., Crott, J.W., Ghandour, H., Choi, S., Dallal, G.E., Keyes, M.K., Jang, H., Liu, Z., Nadeau, M., Johnston, A., Mager, D., Mason, J.B. 2006. Chronic cigarette smoking is associated with diminished folate status, altered folate form distribution, and increased genetic damage in the buccal mucosa of healthy adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 83 (4):835-841.

Interpretive Summary: Smoking is a major risk factor for oral cancer. Folate is an essential nutrient for making new DNA and maintaining DNA health. Folate metabolism may be affected by smoking. We compared DNA damage and folate concentrations of inner cheek cells between smokers and non smokers. We found that smokers had higher amounts of genetic damage and lower amounts of folate in their cheek cells as well as a different distribution of folate types.

Technical Abstract: Background: Smoking causes genetic damage in buccal cells and increases the risk of oral cancer. Since folate is instrumental in DNA synthesis and repair, it is a determinant of genetic stability and therefore might attenuate the genotoxic effects of smoking. Objective: To compare folate metabolites and select indicators of genetic damage in the mouths of chronic smokers versus nonsmokers. Design: Dietary, biochemical, and molecular correlates of folate status were determined in healthy smoker (n=35) and nonsmoker groups (n=21) of comparable age, gender, and BMI. Results: After correction for dietary intake, smokers displayed lower plasma, erythrocyte and buccal mucosal cell (BMC) folate (20, 32 and 50% lower, respectively. P<0.05) and reduced plasma vitamin B12 and PLP (P<0.05) compared to nonsmokers. The folate in the BMCs of smokers was comprised of significantly greater proportions of pteroylmonoglutamate, formyltetrahydrofolate and 5,10-methenyltetrahyrofolate. Although the degree of genomic methylation and uracil incorporation in the buccal cells of the two groups were not significantly different, a cytologic indicator of genetic damage, BMC micronucleus index (MNi), was two-fold higher among smokers compared to nonsmokers (9.57 vs. 4.44 MNi/1000 cells, P<0.0001). Neither systemic or oral folate status were independent predictors of MNi. Conclusions: Chronic smoking is associated with lower systemic status of several B vitamins, diminished oral folate, and alterations in folate form distribution in the mouth. However, the cytologic damage that is evident in the mouths of smokers does not correlate with oral folate status.