ABSTRACT
A qualitative and quantitative histological analysis of minor salivary glands was carried out in 60 alcoholics and 20 matched control patients. Minor salivary glands biopsies were obtained and samples were processed for conventional light microscopy. A quantitative morphometrical assessment was carried out by counting the number of acinar cells present in an area by means of a squared grid eye piece. Neither hipertrophic nor atrophic responses were found in the quantitative analysis. Histological changes such as acinar degeneration, hyperemia, mononuclear inflammatory and fat infiltration were found in both experimental and control samples. None of these findings reached statistical significance. Eleven adult alcoholics with liver damage (ASD) presented duct dilatation. On the other hand, only 3 adult alcoholics with liver damage (ACD) developed this response. This difference was statistically significant (p=0.02). Perhaps no difference was found when we compared ASD group with its respective control group (p=0.699). Whe could not differentiate if this change was due to alcoholism or another undeterminated factor. At least under the scope of this study, we may conclude that minor salivary glands are acarcely affected by alcoholism even when liver damage has been established
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Adolescent , Adult , Middle Aged , Alcoholism/complications , Salivary Gland Diseases/etiology , Salivary Glands, Minor/pathology , Case-Control Studies , Salivary Gland Diseases/epidemiology , Liver Diseases, Alcoholic/pathologyABSTRACT
El presente estudio fue realizado con el fin de verificar si las glándulas salivales menores de pacientes alcohólicos presentan cambios histopatológicos. Se seleccionó un grupo experimental conformado por 10 pacientes alcohólicos crónicos y un grupo control constituido por 10 individuos adultos no alcohólicos sin antecedentes mórbidos. Las edades de ambos grupos fluctuaban entre los 45 y 65 años. Los pacientes presentabn lesiones patológicas en la región labial inferior que justificaron la toma de la biopsia. Las muestras fueron procesadas para microscopía óptica convencional y se tiñeron con hematoxilina-eosina, tricrómico de Van Gieson-Ponceau y Sudan. Los resultados mostraron un incremento en el número de acinos por campo en el grupo experimental (p < 0,003). Esta hiperplasia de células acinares podría corresponder a una etapa temprana de sialadenosis. las muestras de los pacientes alcohólicos presentaban las células acinares hipertrofiadas, con ruptura de las membranas celulares y dilatación de los ductos. Estos hallazgos podrían explicar la hipersalivación observada en pacientes alcohólicos