A Cytoarchitectural Analysis of the Effects of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on Human Oviductal Epithelium

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite the well-documented negative health consequences, approximately thirty percent of reproductive age women smoke cigarettes. Though the deleterious cardiovascular effects of smoking are well publicized, less appreciated is the impact of tobacco use on reproductive health. Women who smoke have an up to fourfold increased risk of ectopic pregnancy compared to women who never smoked, and a dose-response relationship has been demonstrated. The pathophysiologic basis for this epidemiologic finding is not well delineated, and studies investigating causality between tobacco use and ectopic pregnancy in human oviductal epithelium have not been reported.