Histological changes in oral mucosa in smokers : agNORS are histological biomarkers for oxygenic stress in smokers and COPD patients

• Main Author: Omar, Galal Ahmed Saeed
• Published: University of Sunderland 2011
• Subjects: 616.24
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.551203

Tobacco smoke cause cellular proliferation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but changes in buccal mucosa cells in smokers and COPD patients remain unknown. Few studies have been done in humans to determine how smoking affects the epithelial cells of the pulmonary airways which was not thoroughly studied in previous publications that concentrated more on the buccal mucosal cells. We aim to assess the effect of smoking on cellular proliferative activity of buccal mucosa in healthy smokers and in smoking COPD patients as well as to detect early cellular proliferative activity in buccal mucosa. Our hypothesis is that tobacco smokes induce changes in buccal mucosa cells. 879 male subjects; non-smokers (controls), smokers and COPD patients were studied. Cytogenic damage was defined using the argyrophilic nucleolar organiser regions (AgNOR). Buccal mucosa cells we obtained from swabs brushing and respiratory symptoms were assessed by St. George's questionnaire. Lung function tests were measured by Vitalograph spirometer. AgNORs count, nuclear area, nuclear volume, percent cells with 5 or more AgNORs, were significantly higher in smokers than non-smokers (5.20 vs 3.27, 74.66 vs 55.65, 462.67 vs 304.01, 73.93% vs 14.75%, respectively), COPD patients, the values were 6.77, 110.42, 813.26, 96.97%, respectively. Respiratory symptoms were higher in smokers and COPD patients than non- smokers. There was significant relationship between respiratory symptoms and AgNORs count (PS 0.001). There was positive association between cigarette smoking and enhance cellular activity in oral mucosa. Packs year of smoking is significantly associated with cellular abnormality in smokers and COPD patients. Strong correlations were found between AgNORs parameters and respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function tests and pack year. Oxidative stress induced by smoking could explain our results. Smoking induces changes in nucleoprotein of buccal mucosa cells. Our hypothesis is that AgNOR expression can be used as histological biomarker in smokers to predict who is at risk of developing COPD.