Measurements of ascorbic acid and glutathione in exfoliated cervicovaginal epithelial cells of smokers and women with cervical dysplasias

This report emphasizes the ability to quantify ascorbic acid (AA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in exfoliated cervicovaginal epithelial cells obtained by a lavage technique. Sixty-two women with abnormal Papanicolaou smears underwent colposcopie examinations. Colposcopie lesions were biopsied and histopathologically graded. Marked variations in the number of cells and in the levels of AA and GSH were observed. In cigarette smokers, the number of exfoliated cells retrieved was significantly higher (p < 0.05, by Student’s t test). The simultaneous investigation of biochemical and virologie parameters in exfoliated cervicovaginal epithelial cells, in conjunction with the known cytopathologic and epidemiologic risk variables, provides a novel approach to elucidate factor(s) that may inhibit or promote cervical carcinogenesis in designed prospective studies.