Abstract
ObjectiveInhalational drugs used in treating asthma have several side effects including those on oral tissues. We therefore designed a study to analyze the effects of inhalational drugs on the buccal mucosal cells of the oral cavity.MethodsSmears were obtained from clinically normal buccal mucosa of 20 randomly selected asthmatic patients who had been under inhalational therapy for at least 6 months. The Papanicolaou-stained smears were then analyzed for average nuclear area, average cytoplasmic area, and average nuclear area:cytoplasmic area ratio for each patient, and the values were compared with those of 10 healthy controls.ResultsA statistically significant decrease in cytoplasmic area (P<0.001) was found in asthmatic patients compared to controls. A significant increase in mean nuclear area:cytoplasmic area ratio (P<0.001) was noted in asthmatic patients when compared to controls.ConclusionProlonged use of inhalational drugs in patients diagnosed with asthma is associated with changes in oral epithelial cells. There is a need to assess whether these are the direct adverse effects of such drugs and whether they have any long-term impact on oral tissues.
Highlights
Asthma is a growing public health problem affecting over 300 million people worldwide
The study was conducted on 20 patients diagnosed with asthma who had been under inhalational therapy for at least 6 months and 10 healthy subjects
Statistical analysis of the data obtained showed that the mean cytoplasmic area (CA) was decreased in the study group when compared to the controls (Table 1)
Summary
Asthma is a growing public health problem affecting over 300 million people worldwide. A study was performed to assess whether these inhaled drugs in asthmatics cause any morphometric changes in the exfoliated cells of buccal mucosa
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