ESTROGEN RESPONSE IN BUCCAL MUCOSA - A CYTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOLOGICAL ASSAY

Objectives: The aims of the present study were firstly, to evaluate th e effect of estrogen on the cytology of buccal mucosa during the menst rual cycle and at menopause, and, secondly, to analyze the presence of estrogen receptors in the epithelial cells of buccal mucosa using imm unohistochemical methods. Methods: The cytological samples of buccal m ucosa from IO healthy young women (mean age 24 years) were taken on ev ery day of the menstrual cycle and stained according to Papanicolaou. A single cytological sample of buccal mucosa was also collected from 2 0 healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 66 years) using no hormone re placement therapy. For each specimen, a maturation index was calculate d on the basis of percentages of the three (parabasal, intermediate an d superficial) cell types. Moreover, 50 incisional biopsies were taken from buccal mucosa of 50 young healthy women (19 years old) for analy sis of estrogen receptor expression by immunohistochemistry using an i ndirect immunoperoxidase technique. Results: On cytohormonal evaluatio n, intermediate cells were dominant in postmenopausal women and also i n young women at all stages of the menstrual cycle indicating a nearly complete cell maturation. Estrogen receptor positive cells were not d etected in buccal epithelium by immunohistochemistry. Conclusions: As the cell pattern of buccal mucosa indicated a nearly complete cell mat uration both in young and in postmenopausal women, estrogen may not be the only factor causing maturational changes in buccal epithelial cel ls. Alternatively, the antibody used in immunohistochemistry may not d etect the epitope of the estrogen receptor present in buccal mucosa or the level of expression of this protein may be under the detection li mit. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.