ArticleBMC oral health2021
Oral cancer among Khat users: finding evidence from DNA analysis of nine cancer-related gene mutations.
Article in BMC oral health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Current Trends in Diagnosis and Early Monitoring of Oral Cavity Cancer: Techniques and Biomarkers.Cancers · 2026Review
- Dual use of tobacco and khat in eastern Ethiopia: a qualitative study.Tobacco control · 2026Article
- Erratum: Relationship between khat chewing and upper digestive tract cancers among male patients in Hargeisa: a preliminary case-control study.Ecancermedicalscience · 2026Article
- Article
- Oral squamous cell carcinoma: Insights into cellular heterogeneity, drug resistance, and evolutionary trajectories.Cell biology and toxicology · 2025Review
- Evidence of mutations in tumour suppressor genes among oral cancer in Naswar, smokeless tobacco users.Acta odontologica Scandinavica · 2025Article
- Relationship between Khat chewing and upper digestive tract cancers among male patients in Hargeisa: case control study.Ecancermedicalscience · 2025Article
- Case Report: Multifocal Epithelial Hyperplasia in Two Yemeni Patients With Khat Chewing Habits.Case reports in dentistry · 2025Article
- Substance misuse disorder in Saudi Arabia: A comprehensive examination of current demographic patterns, trends, and intervention requirements.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 10 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundKhat leaves contain the alkaloid cathinone. Research shows that khat might provoke toxicity, mutagenicity, as well as carcinogenicity.
methodsTwo groups were identified as khat abusers and were categorized by abuse time and diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Here, 41 participants from Group 2 were short-term khat users, and 42 participants were long-term khat users. The control group included 30 healthy individuals. The coding exons included nine cancer-related genes and were analysed. The histopathological research was conducted with H&E staining along with the TP53 protein expression by implementing immunohistochemical analyses.
resultsHere, 41 short-term khat users carried seven somatic mutations in four out of nine cancer-related genes: 29/41(70.73%) ARID1A, 24/41(58.53%) MLH1, 34/41(82.92%) PIK3CA and 36/41(87.80%) TP53. The 42 long-term khat users incorporated nine somatic mutations in five out of nin ecancer-related genes: 40/42(95.23%) ARID1A, 36/42(85.71%) ARID2, 29/42(69.04%) PIK3CA, 27/42(64.28%) MLH1, and 35/42(83.33%) TP53. Every khat user had somatic mutations related to OSCC affecting the gingiva and the lower lip. TP53 protein expression was confirmed in all immunohistochemical oral tests. Carcinoma was also positive in the histopathological analysis.
conclusionsKhat is a mutagenic and carcinogenic plant that provoked OSCC among short-term khat users (<15 years of use) and long-term users (>15 years of use).
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