Cytomorphometric analysis of buccal mucosa cells in tobacco chewers

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of tobacco chewing on buccal mucosa by using cytomorphometry. Study Design: The study group consisted of 100 subjects divided into 50 tobacco chewer subjects (Group C) and 50 control subjects (Group N) aged between 31 and 80 years. We analyzed and compared the nuclear and cell morphometric features, that is, mean nuclear area (MNA), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP), mean of maximum nuclear diameter (Max-ND), mean of minimum nuclear diameter (Min-ND), mean cell area (MCA), mean cell perimeter (MCP), mean of maximum cell diameter (Max-CD), mean of minimum cell diameter (Min-CD) and nuclear to cell parameter ratio. Buccal epithelial cells of these individuals were collected with a brush and fixed smears were stained with Papanicolaou stain and cytomorphometric analysis performed using Image J image analysis software. Results: The mean of above nuclear and cell morphometric parameters and their ratio were found to be statistically significant by Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) being P value < 0.001. Conclusions: There is progressive increase in nuclear parameters, decrease in cellular parameters and increase in ratio of nuclear to cellular parameters in smears from tobacco chewers, as compared with normal subjects. It is possible to conclude that these adaptive changes in the cellular and nuclear parameters tend to be a progression toward dysplastic or premalignant change.