Proliferative activity in clinically healthy oral mucosa exposed to tobacco smoking and alcohol: a longitudinal study using the agNOR staining technique.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate cell proliferation in clinically healthy oral mucosa exposed to smoking and alcohol carcinogens over a period of 24 months using the AgNOR staining technique.


METHODS
Sixty patients were initially evaluated: 17 were control individuals, 25 were smokers and 18 were smokers and alcohol drinkers. Fifty-two of these patients were reevaluated. Specimens for cytology were obtained from swabs of lower lip mucosa, border of the tongue and floor of the mouth and underwent AgNOR staining for evaluation of mean number and mean area of AgNOR dots per nucleus and percentage of nuclei with > 3 and > 5 AgNOR dots. Student t and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare values obtained.


RESULTS
A statistically significant increase was found in mean number of AgNOR dots per nucleus in 2 groups. One group showed a tendency toward increase of these values. The results of the longitudinal evaluation (Kruskal-Wallis test) revealed a statistically significant difference in number and area of AgNOR dots in the cells of the lower lip.


CONCLUSIONS
The increase of the variables suggests that the longitudinal evaluation of changes in cell proliferation in individuals exposed to smoking and alcohol carcinogens may be a useful monitoring tool.
Gedoz
Luhana
L
Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande of Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Lauxen
Isabel da Silva
Ida S
Sant'Ana
Manoel Filho
MF
Rados
Pantelis Varvaki
PV
D000328:Adult; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018876:Environmental Illness / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D016622:Silver Staining; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*