Feasibility of Age Estimation from Exfoliated Buccal Mucosal Cells in Adults: A Cytomorphometric Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/jiafm.2024.46.2(Suppl).15Keywords:
Age estimation, Cytomorphometrics, Exfoliative cytologyAbstract
This study aimed to evaluate the age and gender-related cytomorphometric changes in the buccal mucosal cells of Indian adults and the feasibility of age estimation from them. Exfoliative cytology smears were collected from the clinically normal buccal mucosa of 90 individuals (30 in age groups of 21-30, 31-40, and 41-50 years). They were fixed in 95% alcohol and stained with the Papanicolaou technique. The Cytoplasmic Area (CA) and Nuclear Area (NA) in square micrometers and the Nuclear area: Cytoplasmic area Ratio (NCR) were estimated for each individual by averaging the measurements from 100 clear and unfolded cells. The age and sex-based intergroup comparisons were made with Analysis of Variance and Independent samples T-test (or their non-parametric equivalents), respectively. Pearson and Point Biserial correlations were used to assess the association of NA, CA, and NCR with age and gender, respectively. The cytoplasmic area showed a statistically significant difference (p=.04) between 21-30 years (2572.34 ± 516.54) and 31-40 years (2230.15 ± 516.12). NA and NCR did not differ between age groups. While females (0.030 ± 0.007) showed a higher NCR than males (0.026 ± 0.005, p=.009), no sexual dimorphism was noted for CA and NA. No statistically significant correlations were found between age and CA, NA, or NCR. Though the buccal mucosal cells from adults exhibited some age and gender-related cytomorphometric changes, it is not feasible to predict the chronologic age of an individual from them.
Downloads
References
Willems G. A review of the most commonly used dental age estimation techniques. J Forensic Odontostomatol. 2001; 19:9–17.
Jeon HM, Jang SM, Kim KH, Heo JY, Ok SM, Jeong SH, et al. Dental Age Estimation in Adults: AReview of the Commonly Used Radiological Methods. J Oral Med Pain. 2014; 39:119–26.
Chaudhary R, Doggalli N. Commonly used different dental age estimation methods in children and adolescents. Int J Forensic Odontol. 2018;3:50–4.
Verma M, Verma N, Sharma R, Sharma A. Dental age estimation methods in adult dentitions: An overview. J Forensic Dent Sci. 2019;11:57–63.
Priyadarshini C, Puranik MP, Uma SR. Dental Age Estimation Methods: A Review. Int J Adv Health Sci. 1:19– 25.
Gopika M, Manipal U, Dinesh T, Rajmohan M, Naveen, Prabu D, et al. Digital Measurement of Dentinal Translucency in Correlation with Age Maturity - a Fact or Fiction? J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2017;39:266–70.
Jambunath U, Balaji P, Poornima G, Vasan V, Gupta A. Dental Age Estimation by Radiographic Evaluation of Pulp/Tooth Ratio in Mandibular Canines and Premolars. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2016;38:416–9.
Anju R, Khanna S, Mittal A, Harpreet G, Behera C. Age Estimation by Clinico-Radiological Examination of Third Molar Teeth: A Study from Delhi. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2014;36:349–54.
Singh A, Gorea R, Singla U. Age estimation from the physiological changes of teeth. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2004;26:94–6.
Rösing FW, Kvaal SI. Dental Age in Adults — A Review of Estimation Methods. In: Alt KW, Rösing FW, Teschler Nicola M, editors. Dental Anthropology: Fundamentals, Limits and Prospects [Internet]. Vienna: Springer; 1998 [cited 2021 Jun 15]. p. 443–68. Available from: https://doi.org/ 10.1007/978-3-7091-7496-8_22
Lewis JM, Senn DR. Forensic Dental Age Estimation: An Overview. CDAJ. 43:315–9.
Baylis S, Bassed R. Precision and accuracy of commonly used dental age estimation charts for the New Zealand population. Forensic Sci Int. 2017;277:223–8.
Quaremba G, Buccelli C, Graziano V, Laino A, Laino L, Paternoster M, et al. Some inconsistencies in Demirjian's method. Forensic Sci Int. 2018;283:190–9.
Ritz-Timme S, Cattaneo C, Collins MJ, Waite ER, Schütz HW, Kaatsch HJ, et al. Age estimation: the state of the art in relation to the specific demands of forensic practise. Int J Legal Med. 2000;113:129–36.
Panchbhai AS. Dental radiographic indicators, a key to age estimation. Dento Maxillo Facial Radiol. 2011;40:199–212.
Cowpe JG. Quantitative exfoliative cytology of normal and abnormal oral mucosal squames: preliminary communication. J R Soc Med. 1984;77:928–31.
Cowpe JG, Longmore RB, Green MW. Quantitative exfoliative cytology of normal oral squames: an age, site and sex-related survey. J R Soc Med. 1985;78:995–1004.
Nayar AK, Sundharam BS. Cytomorphometric analysis of exfoliated normal buccal mucosa cells. Indian J Dent Res. 2003;14:87–93.
Anuradha A, Sivapathasundharam B. Image analysis of normal exfoliated gingival cells. Indian J Dent Res. 2007;18:63–6.
Patel PV, Kumar S, Kumar V, Vidya G. Quantitative cytomorphometric analysis of exfoliated normal gingival cells. J Cytol. 2011;28:66–72.
Abu Eid R, Sawair F, Landini G, Saku T. Age and the architecture of oral mucosa. Age Dordr Neth. 2012;34:651–8.
Shetty DC, Wadhwan V, Khanna KS, Jain A, Gupta A. Exfoliative cytology: A possible tool in age estimation in forensic odontology. J Forensic Dent Sci. 2015;7:63–6.
Nallamala S, Guttikonda VR, Manchikatla PK, Taneeru S. Age estimation using exfoliative cytology and radiovisiography: A comparative study. J Forensic Dent Sci.
;9:144–8.
Ilayaraja V, Priyadharshini T, Ganapathy N, Yamunadevi A, Dineshshankar J, Maheswaran T. Exfoliative cytology for age estimation: A correlative study in different age groups. J Indian Acad Dent Spec Res. 2018;5:25.
Radhika T, Hussain S, Adithyan S, Jeddy N, Lakshmi S. Cytomorphometric Evaluation of Oral Exfoliated Cells − Its Correlation With Age of an Individual. J Orofac Sci. 2019;11:84–8.
Radhakrishnan S, Venkatapathy R, Balamurali PD, Babu P, Prasad KS, Thawfeek M. Exfoliative Cytology in Age Estimation. J Sci Dent. 2019;9:33–5.
Donald PM, George R, Sriram G, Kavitha B, Sivapathasundharam B. Hormonal changes in exfoliated normal buccal mucosal cells. J Cytol. 2013;30:252–6.
Reddy V, Kumar G, Vezhavendhan N, Pruya S. Cytomorphometric Analysis of Normal Exfoliative Cells from Buccal Mucosa in Different Age Groups. Int J Clin Dent Sci. 2011;2:53–6.
Faul F, Erdfelder E, Buchner A, Lang AG. Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behav Res Methods. 2009;41:1149–60.
