Nasal cytology in southwest metropolitan Mexico City inhabitants: A pilot intervention study

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3431423· OSTI ID:5952730

Calderon-Garciduenas, L; Roy-Ocotla, G ^[1]

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1. Centro Nacional de Investigacion en Calidad Ambiental Cenica, Mexico City (Mexico)

Southwest metropolitan Mexico City (SWMMC) inhabitants have been exposed several hours per day for the last 6 years to photochemical smog, ozone being the most important oxidant pollutant. Subjects exposed to the SWMMC atmosphere develop several histopathological changes in their nasal mucosa: dysplasia is the most significant, affecting 78.72% of adult individuals within 60 or more days of residence in SWMMC. This study was originally designed to explore whether chemical intervention could modify nasal dysplasia, as determined by nasal cytology, in a defined adult population. In a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial, 177 healthy male subjects were divided into 5 groups to whom 5000 IU of vitamin A, 100 IU of vitamin E, a combination of vitamins A and E (5000 IU + 100 IU), 16 mg of beta-carotene, or placebo were administered daily for 4 months. Sixteen clinical and cytological variables were monitored. No effect on dysplasia was seen at the end of the 4-month trial; however, an apparent reversibility as well as progression of the dysplastic nasal lesions and high correlation coefficients between dysplasia and nasal cytology of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs; 0.85), squamous metaplasia (SM; 0.50), and nasal mucosa atrophy (NMA; 0.41) were found. A mathematical theoretical nasal dysplasia (tD) predictor equation for SWMMC adult male inhabitants is proposed (tD = 0.85 delta PMNs + 0.50 delta SM + 0.41 delta NMA + 0.98), in which PMNs are the best single dysplasia predictor, and all variables are independent.

• OSTI ID: 5952730
• Journal Information: Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States) Vol. 101:2; ISSN EVHPAZ; ISSN 0091-6765
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550300 -- Cytology
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGY
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY AREAS
BODY FLUIDS
CYTOLOGY
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISEASES
FACE
HEAD
LATIN AMERICA
LEUKOCYTES
MATERIALS
MEMBRANES
MEXICO
MUCOUS MEMBRANES
NORTH AMERICA
NOSE
OZONE
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SMOG
THERAPEUTIC USES
USES
VITAMIN A
VITAMIN E
VITAMINS