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. 2023 Aug 24;15(8):e44022.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.44022. eCollection 2023 Aug.

The Comparative Analysis of Buccal Exfoliated Cells in the Pediatric and Adolescent Age Groups Among the Dravidian Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Priyadharshini G  1 , Pratibha Ramani  2
Affiliations

The Comparative Analysis of Buccal Exfoliated Cells in the Pediatric and Adolescent Age Groups Among the Dravidian Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Priyadharshini G et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction Adolescence is a distinct stage of development marked by a variety of physiological, behavioral, hormonal, and cellular changes. Objective The objective of this study is to assess the cytomorphometry of buccal exfoliated cells in the age groups 1-10 and 11-19 and detect any changes in their buccal exfoliated cells during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Materials and methods Buccal smears were collected from 60 patients of age groups 1-10 (n=30) and 11-19 (n=30). Cytomorphometric analysis was done using the ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD). Statistical analysis was done using an independent t-test. Results The cytomorphometric analysis of buccal smears between age groups 1-10 and 11-19 showed a statistically significant difference in cell size, cell shape, and nuclear-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio. Conclusion This study helps to understand the physiological changes in this era and thus will aid to compare the physiological to the pathological changes of exfoliated cells in future studies.

Keywords: adolescent; covid-19; cytology; pediatric; smear.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. (A and B) H&E-stained buccal smears at 40× objective. (C and D) Pap-stained buccal smears at 40× objective
H&E: hematoxylin and eosin
Figure 2
Figure 2. Cytomorphometric analysis using the ImageJ software
Figure 3
Figure 3. Comparison of cell size between the age groups 1-10 and 11-19
Figure 4
Figure 4. Comparison of nuclear size between the age groups 1-10 and 11-19
Figure 5
Figure 5. Comparison of nuclear-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio between the age groups 1-10 and 11-19
Figure 6
Figure 6. Comparison of cell size between males and females of the age group 1-19
Figure 7
Figure 7. Comparison of mean nuclear-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio between males and females of the age group 1-19
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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