Effect of Smoking on Oral Microbial Profile and Epithelial Cytological Changes: A Comparative Study Smoking and Oral Microbial Profile and Epithelial Cytological Changes
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Abstract
Smoking is a major risk factor for many oral disease and changes such as the oral microbiome and the integrity of the epithelial cells. It is a major driver of microbial dysbiosis and causes early cytological changes which gives potential to inflammation, therefore increasing the risk for oral pathological conditions. This study intends to investigate the link between microbial dysbiosis and epithelial changes in regular smoker’s subjects, and determine the smoking related oral diseases. Eighty participants were studied (40 smokers and 40 non-smokers). Analysis of salivary samples were performed for total bacterial counts, microbial composition, and diversity index. Buccal swabs were performed to collect the oral epithelial cells, and assessed cytologically for cell diameter, nuclear diameter, N/C ratio, inflammatory cell count, and atypia. Smokers had greater bacterial load (7.92 ± 0.48 log CFU/mL), proportion of pathogenic bacteria (61.8 ± 7.9%), and reduced diversity (2.08 ± 0.27). Cytological findings were consistent with both larger nuclear diameter (9.6 ± 1.3) and N/C ratio and higher inflammatory cell counts (38.5 ± 6.4 cells/HPF) in smokers compared with non-smokers (all p < 0.001). Smokers had cytological atypia in 35.0%, while non-smokers did not (P < 0.01). In Conclusion, Smoking induces significant microbial dysbiosis and early epithelial cytological changes in the oral cavity.
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