The Oral Mucosa and Langerhans Cells in Smokers: Evidence for Carcinogenesis

Authors

  • S P Khoo Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya
  • K W Lee Department of Oral Pathology, Institute of Dental Surgery

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22452/adum.vol2no1.1

Keywords:

Smoking, Langerhans cells, oral epithelium, malignant transformation

Abstract

A study was carried out to investigate whether smoking had any effecton the Langerhans cells in the oral mucosa, which might throw light onto the
mechanism of malignant transformation of some keratotic lesions in the oral cavity. Thirty-two cases of keratotic lesions from biopsy specimens of
smokers and non-smokers were studied. Langerhans cells were identified by immunocytochemical staining for 5100 proteins and their densities
quantified. Smokers were associated with a significant reduction in the Langerhans cell population compared to non-smokers. The mean values
of Langel:lans cell density in light smokers and heavy smokers were 28.64/mm2 and 33.421mm2 respectively compared to 66.51/mm2 in nonsmokers.
There was a dose-response relation between the number of cigarettes smoked daily and the effect on cell counts. These findings of a
local immunological effect of smoking on oral epithelium may explain the means by which cigarette smoking contributes to the development of oral
cancer.

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Published

1995-12-29

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (1995)

Section

Original/Research Article

License

  1. The Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Malaya holds the copyright of the published manuscript including all its components such as supplementary information, graphical contents and raw data without any restrictions.
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