Oral exfoliative cytology of smokers at discrete clinical stages using AgNOR staining.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate oral exfoliative cytology of smokers without any clinically evident lesion and smokers with leukoplakia or oral cancer using AgNOR staining. STUDY DESIGN: Cytological smears of 30 smokers without lesion, 30 smokers with leukoplakia, 30 smokers with oral cancer and 30 non-smokers (control group) were studied using one step silver staining method. The AgNOR count was established on 100 cells. Mean AgNOR count and mean % of cells with 5 or more AgNORs was evaluated. The count values of groups were compared and analysed using Student's unpaired t-test. RESULTS: The mean AgNOR count for control group was 2.94 +/- 0.325, smokers without lesion 3.79 +/- 0.480 smokers with leukoplakia 3.89 +/- 0.433 and oral cancer 4.96 +/- 0.467. Mean % of cells with 5 or more AgNORs was 11.7, 26.5, 30.2 and 55.8 for control group, smokers without lesion, smokers with leukoplakia and oral cancer respectively. CONCLUSION: Analysis of AgNORs suggest that smoking influences proliferative activity in cells of smokers without any clinical lesion and that oral cancer shows highest proliferative activity.