Epigenetic factors in the evaluation of micronucleus frequency in basal cells of the uterine mucosa

Cervical cancer is a tumor which begins in the basal cells of the epithelium lining the uterine cervix, being responsible for approximately 500 thousand new cases in the world each year, becoming also responsible for 230 thousand deaths among women. The research aims to investigate which epigenetic factors interfere in the assessment of the frequency of micronuclei in basal cells of the uterine mucosa. This is an experimental study carried out after approval by the ethics and research committee with the number: 3,679,998. 49 cervical samples were collected from patients who underwent routine gynecological examination in a Basic Health Unit (BHU) in the city of Teresina-PI. A coleta de dados foi efetuada através de questionário e da realização do exame citológico. Cytological analysis was performed using optical microscopy (200X) and/in a blind test in relation to the data obtained in the questionnaire. Shapiro-Wilk chi-square test and Mann Whitney U test were used. The results were distributed in tables, showing the characterization of epigenetic factors, the association of the presence of Micronuclei with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The Normality Test was used for the Micronucleus numbers in women and the characterization of epigenetic factors. According to the tests used, there was relevant statistical evidence that the use of X-rays significantly increased the frequency of micronuclei in relation to the other factors studied. This study achieved its listed objectives; it was observed that it is necessary to alert about the risks of frequent X-ray, because these may be associated with the appearance of diseases. The performance of the study is important, since there are few studies that explore the theme in the cervical mucosa.