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BACKGROUND: Smoking is a well-known risk factor for various health problems, including oral cancer. P16 and P53 proteins are involved in cell cycle regulation and proliferation, and their expression levels can provide insights into cellular health. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the cellular changes and immunohistochemistry expression of p53 and p16 in the oral mucosa among Saudi smokers. METHOD: In a cross-sectional study obtained by scraping the buccal mucosa, 1000 samples were collected from 2022 to 2023. All of the study's participants were Saudi citizens of both genders. Seven hundred cigarette smokers and 300 nonsmokers made up the controls, using two sampling techniques: initially purposive and then snowball sampling. The materials were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis for P16 and P53 protein overexpression. The samples were scored based on the percentage of positively stained cells and staining intensity. The data were analyzed using SPSS, and categorical variables were identified as frequencies and percentages using the chi-squared test; a value of (P<0.05) was considered significant. RESULT: Cigarette smokers demonstrate significantly higher rates of cytological inflammation, reverse cytological infection, atypia, and binucleated/multinucleated cells compared to nonsmokers, with an overall abnormal result rate of 46% versus 18.7%, respectively (P=0.024). The study found higher P53 and P16 expression among smokers (7.14% and 2.14%, respectively) compared to nonsmokers (0.1% and 0.33%) (P=0.038). No significant differences were observed in P53/P16 expression across age groups (P=0.72) or between male and female participants (P=0.25). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the detrimental effects of smoking on cellular health and reinforce the importance of smoking cessation in reducing the risk of developing cytological abnormalities and associated diseases. These results highlight the association of smoking with increased biomarker expression, emphasizing its relevance in understanding oral health risks.
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Objective This study aims to determine how electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use contributes to the spread of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and to assess the potential cellular proliferative activity it may produce. Methodology In Madinah, a case-control study was conducted between October 2022 and March 2023. Two oral cytologic smear samples were collected from each of the 500 volunteers; 250 consumers of electronic cigarettes and 250 non-smokers each provided two samples. To detect cytological changes and HPV infection, these samples were stained using Papanicolaou and immunocytochemical techniques. Results Twelve (4.8%) of the electronic cigarettes exhibited cytological atypia, while only one (0.4%) of the nonsmokers' group did. Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) was detected in eight (3.2%) of the e-cigarette users, but it was only found in two (0.8%) of the nonsmokers (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion Electronic cigarette smoking increases the likelihood of contracting HPV and developing cytological atypia, both of which, if left untreated, can contribute to the development of precancerous and cancerous lesions in the mouth.
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Objective In this study, we aimed to assess cytological changes and p53 expression in oral mucosa among waterpipe users in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methodology A case-control study was conducted in KSA from January to October 2022. Two cytologic oral smear samples each were taken from 500 volunteers; 300 were waterpipe users (case) while 200 did not use a waterpipe (control). They were then stained using the Papanicolaou staining procedure and immunocytochemical method to show the expression of P53. Results The interpretation of the Papanicolaou staining outcomes showed the presence of four results with different proportions: inflammation, infection, atypia, and keratinization. Cytological inflammation was identified among 77/300 (25.6%) waterpipe smokers, which was higher than that among non-users (12/200, 6%). The reverse cytological infection and atypia were also higher in waterpipe smokers compared with controls (9% vs. 4.5% and 4.3% vs. 0.5%, respectively), and keratinization was detected only in waterpipe users (3.6%) compared with controls. Waterpipe users had higher p53 protein expression than non-users. Conclusion Using a waterpipe is an effective way to change the oral mucosa. In atypia and keratinization, there was high p53 expression. These results could indicate that p53 is involved in both the change from normal to cancerous cells and the growth of new cells, but the presence or absence of p53 staining could not be used to predict the outcome of potentially cancerous oral mucosal lesions.
