[Morphological and cytochemical features of the gingival mucosal epithelium in women during different phases of the menstrual cycle].

Morphological analysis of smears of the gingival epithelium by computer-aided morphometry was carried out in women during the secretory and proliferation phases of the menstrual cycle. During the secretory phase the cell ratio was characterized by higher percentage of epitheliocytes in the terminal stages of differentiation. Size of the nuclei and cytoplasm of intermediate cells, concentration of total protein in them, number of the nucleolar organizer zones, and degree of bacterial contamination of epitheliocytes is higher during the secretory phase than during the proliferation phase.