| Abstract: |
\babstract\b With approximately 80-90% of cancers determined environmentally, it would be of interest to identify substances that might damage DNA and ultimately increase the risk of cancer. Tobacco and areca nut alkaloids have been detected in the saliva and urine samples of tobacco-areca nut chewers (14-16). pg 1021 The areca nut chewers generally swallow the saliva completely, thus bathing the esophageal lining with the genotxins released during the chewing. However, those who chew areca nut plus tobacoo, because of the bittertaste of tabacco, expectorate the saliva periodically.... The swallowing of saliva has been blamed for theincreased rate of esophageal cancer among these people (32,33). Because areca nut, when chewed alone, always is consumed in toto, it might increase the body burden of tannins, alkloids, and the vivo formation of nitrosamines form the alkaloids. The gentoxic effects of the saliva have been reported (34). An increased frequency among Indian chewing areca nut and betel quid has been reported (42). It is speculated that the release of areca nut alkaloids, tannins, nitrite, and thiocyanate druing chewing and the formation of N-nitroso compounds in the saliva (14) contribute to the nearly threefold greater frequency of micronucleated cells (MNC) among normal chewers and patients with oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). pg 1022 ...henceforth during population monitoring with cytogenetic parameters, the habit of chewing areca nut also should be taken into account and be considered equally harmful as tobacco.
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