Advertisement
Research Article| Volume 27, ISSUE 1, P41-45, May 1997

Estrogen response in buccal mucosa — a cytological and immunohistological assay

      This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.

      Abstract

      Objectives: The aims of the present study were firstly, to evaluate the effect of estrogen on the cytology of buccal mucosa during the menstrual cycle and at menopause, and, secondly, to analyze the presence of estrogen receptors in the epithelial cells of buccal mucosa using immunohistochemical methods. Methods: The cytological samples of buccal mucosa from 10 healthy young women (mean age 24 years) were taken on every day of the menstrual cycle and stained according to Papanicolaou. A single cytological sample of buccal mucosa was also collected from 20 healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 66 years) using no hormone replacement therapy. For each specimen, a maturation index was calculated on the basis of percentages of the three (parabasal, intermediate and superficial) cell types. Moreover, 50 incisional biopsies were taken from buccal mucosa of 50 young healthy women (19 years old) for analysis of estrogen receptor expression by immunohistochemistry using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. Results: On cytohormonal evaluation, intermediate cells were dominant in postmenopausal women and also in young women at all stages of the menstrual cycle indicating a nearly complete cell maturation. Estrogen receptor positive cells were not detected in buccal epithelium by immunohistochemistry. Conclusions: As the cell pattern of buccal mucosa indicated a nearly complete cell maturation both in young and in postmenopausal women, estrogen may not be the only factor causing maturational changes in buccal epithelial cells. Alternatively, the antibody used in immunohistochemistry may not detect the epitope of the estrogen receptor present in buccal mucosa or the level of expression of this protein may be under the detection limit.

      Keywords

      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Maturitas
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Wilson RA
        • Wilson TA
        The fate of the nontreated postmenopausal woman: a plea for the maintenance of adequate estrogen from puberty to the grave.
        J Am Geriatr Soc. 1963; 11: 347-362
        • Barber HRK
        Perimenopausal and geriatric gynecology.
        in: Macmillan, New York1988: 49-58
        • Main DMG
        • Ritchie GM
        Cyclic changes in oral smears from young menstruating women.
        Br J Dermatol. 1967; 79: 20-30
        • Timonen S
        • Calonius PEB
        • Sakai Y
        Exfoliated oral cells as indicators of oestrogen stimulation.
        Odont Tskr. 1964; 72: 324-334
        • Ziskin DE
        • Moulton R
        A comparison of oral and vaginal epithelial smears.
        J Clin Endocrinol. 1948; 8: 146-165
        • Geneser F
        1st edition. Textbook of Histology. Munksgaard, Copenhagen1986: 589-617
        • Meisels A
        The menopause: a cytohormonal study.
        Acta Cytol. 1966; 10: 49-55
        • Papanicolaou GN
        • Shorr E
        The action of ovarian follicular hormone in the menopause, as indicated by vaginal smears.
        Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1936; 31: 806-831
        • Meisels A
        Computed cytohormonal findings in 3307 healthy women.
        Acta Cytol. 1965; 9: 328-333
        • Cowpe JG
        • Longmore RB
        • Green MW
        Quantitative exfoliative cytology of abnormal oral mucosal smears.
        J R Soc Med. 1988; 81: 509-513
        • Croley TE
        • Miers C
        Epithelial changes in the oral mucosa resulting from a variation in hormone stimulus.
        J Oral Med. 1978; 33: 86-89
        • Iuseum R
        A cytology study of the cornification of the oral mucosa in women. A preliminary report.
        Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1950; 3: 1516-1520
        • Montgomery PW
        A study of exfoliative cytology of normal human oral mucosa.
        J Dent Res. 1951; 30: 12-18
        • Sivlerman Jr, S
        • Shouse C
        Estrogen effects on human oral epithelium. Cytologic, histologic, and clinical comparisons.
        J Oral Ther Pharm. 1966; 3: 87-93
        • Trott JR
        A desquamative cytological study of gingiva and oral mucosa in women.
        J Periodontol. 1958; 29: 213-220
        • Koss LG
        Diagnostic cytology and its histopathologic bases.
        3rd ed. J.B. Lippencott Co, Philadelphia1993
        • Robinson PJ
        • Amar S
        Influence of pregnancy on the oral cavity.
        Clin Obstet. 1992; 2: 1-6
        • Jacobs A
        Cornification in buccal smears.
        Br Dent J. 1959; 20: 249-250