Evaluación del grado de queratinización y el recuento de AgNORs en citología exfoliativa de mucosa oral normal de individuos fumadores y no fumadores

Objetive.In smokers with clinically normal buccal mucosa, cytological changes such as increased keratinization, and higher nucleolar activity have been observed. In these studies the cells for cytological smears were obtained with a wooden spatula. Our objectives were to evaluate the depth of cytological smears of oral mucosa obtained with both a brush (endobrush) and a wooden spatula, and to compare the degree of keratinization and the nucleolar activity in smokers and non-smokers. Design. We obtained cytological smears of clinically normal lateral tongues of 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers using both a wooden spatula and endobrush. The samples were dyed with Papanicolaou and the AgNORs. Results. With the wooden spatula we found a greater percentage of enucleated superficial epithelial cells (P = 0.016) and deeper cells were obtained with an endobrush (intermediate cells) (P =0.035). The smokers showed a greater percentage of enucleated superficial cells with both techniques, however this difference was significantly greater with Endobrush (P=0.005). The average of AgNORs in the nucleated cells was greater in smokers (3.83) than in non-smokers (2.79) (P=0.003). Conclusion. The Endobrush allows the clinician to obtain deeper cells of buccal mucosa. Smokers with clinically normal mucosa show a greater percentage of keratinized cells and a greater nucleolar activity, suggesting that cigarette smoking influences the cellular activity of the mucosa of the lateral tongue. Objetivos. En individuos fumadores con mucosa oral clínicamente sana, se han observado cambios citológicos como una mayor queratinización, existiendo también reportes de un mayor grado de actividad nucleolar. En estos estudios, las células para frotis se han obtenido por medio de espátula de madera. Nuestro objetivo es evaluar la profundidad de muestras citológicas de mucosa oral obtenidas con cepillo para frotis (endobrush) y comparar el grado de queratinización y la actividad nucleolar en pacientes fumadores y no fumadores. Diseño del estudio. Se obtuvieron frotis de mucosa oral de borde de lengua clínicamente normal de 30 individuos fumadores y 30 no fumadores, utilizando espátula de madera y endobrush. Las muestras fueron teñidas con Papanicolaou y con la tinción AgNORs. Resultados. Con la espátula de madera se obtuvo un mayor porcentaje de células epiteliales superficiales anucleadas (P= 0.016) y con el endobrush se obtuvieron células más profundas (tipo intermedias) (P= 0.035). Los individ