Cambios citométricos evaluados en citología oral de usuarios de cigarrillos electrónicos

Abstract

Introduction: The use of e-cigarettes, created as an alternative to smoking cessation, has gained popularity among young people due to the perception that they are less harmful than traditional tobacco. However, there are concerns about their effects on oral and cellular health, especially in relation to possible morphological alterations and the risk of oral cancer. Among the university population, these devices are easily accessible. Objective: To establish differences in epithelial cell cytometry between e-cigarette users and non-users at the University of Santo Tomás. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, analytical observational study was conducted with 54 participants. No clinical interventions were performed, and data were collected at a single time point. Cytological samples of oral mucosa were obtained and analyzed with hematoxylin-eosin staining to observe nuclear changes. Information on vaping use was collected through surveys. The analysis included descriptive statistics (frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion) and bivariate tests (Student's t, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and ANOVA). Results: Micronuclei were present in 83.33% of subjects, with 64.81% having between 1-5 and 18.52% having more than 5 in at least one cell. Among vaper users, 55.6% had between 1-5 micronuclei and 3.3% had more than 5. With nicotine, 34.8% had more than 5 micronuclei; with menthol, 33.3%; and with multiple flavors, 39.1%. Those who vaped between 6-9 times per hour showed 20% with more than 5 micronuclei. Among disposable vapers, 5.9% had more than 5. Conclusions: Although there were no statistically significant differences in overall cytometry, a reduction in cytoplasm and nuclear size was observed in users. Nicotine and menthol were associated with a higher frequency of micronuclei.