Synergistic effect of cigarette smoke and saliva on lymphocytes--the mediatory role of volatile aldehydes and redox active iron and the possible implications for oral cancer.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is most induced by exposure of the oral epithelial cells to tobacco products such as cigarette smoke. This exposure always occurs in the presence of saliva and presumably is induced by free radicals. To explore the effects of CS on cells in the presence of saliva, we used peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and exposed them to CS, alone or in the presence of saliva.