Comparative Study using Papanicolaou Stain and Silver-stained Nucleolar Organizer Region Counts in Exfoliative Smear of Oral Mucosa in Bidi Smokers and Nonsmokers.

Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the proliferative activity of exfoliated cells in bidi smoker's and nonsmoker's oral mucosa.

Materials And Methods: The oral mucosal exfoliate smears were prepared from 40 individuals (20 nonsmokers and 20 smokers) with the age group ranging from 25 to 70 years, in and around Akola (Maharashtra). The Papanicolaou (PAP) stain and silver-stained nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) were used to prepare cytogenic smear to evaluate the presence of cytological alterations, suggestive of inflammation, dysplasia, keratinization, and proliferative activity of epithelial cells.