Genotoxicity of waterpipe smoking in young adults from Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Tamara Cetkovic Pecar,
Anja Haveric,
Lejla Caluk Klacar,
Sanin Haveric,
Alen Dzaferspahic,
Mahira Mehanovic,
Irma Durmisevic,
Selma Dzaferspahic,
Maida Hadzic Omanovic
Affiliations
Tamara Cetkovic Pecar
University of Sarajevo, Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Anja Haveric
University of Sarajevo, Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Corresponding author. University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Lejla Caluk Klacar
University of Sarajevo, Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sanin Haveric
University of Sarajevo, Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alen Dzaferspahic
Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mahira Mehanovic
Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Irma Durmisevic
University of Sarajevo, Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Selma Dzaferspahic
Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Maida Hadzic Omanovic
University of Sarajevo, Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Genetic Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zmaja Od Bosne 8, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Background: Waterpipe, also known as a hookah or narghile, is a type of tobacco products consumption device. Recently it has been increasingly popular in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. Waterpipe consumers are predominantly adolescents and young adults. Many of them believe in slighter harmful effects of waterpipes, compared to cigarettes. We aimed to determine the DNA damage in oral leukocytes and buccal cells of young individuals who have smoked a waterpipe for more than one year. Methods: The study group consisted of 40 cigarette non-smokers who regularly smoked a waterpipe on average of once per week. As a control, 40 non-smoking individuals were selected to match smokers for age. All participants in the study were healthy male and female adults from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 18–30 years of age. Before sampling, detailed survey and informed consent have been provided by each participant. Comet assay in oral leukocytes and buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay in exfoliated buccal cells were applied. Results: Almost half of waterpipe smokers (WPS) tasted waterpipe at 15–16 years of age. Comet assay analysis showed increased tail intensity, tail length, and tail moment values among WPS compared to non-smokers (NS) (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0067, and p = 0.0001, respectively). Frequencies of the micronucleated (p = 0.0004), binucleated (p = 0.01), karyorrhectic, (p = 0.0036), and pycnotic cells (p = 0.03) were significantly higher in WPS compared to NS group. Conclusions: Genotoxicity and DNA damage biomarkers were increased in oral leukocytes and exfoliated buccal cells of young waterpipe smokers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to NS group.
