Open AccessConjunctiva is an estrogen‐sensitive epithelium
Author(s) -
Vavilis Dlmitrios,
Maloutas Stefanos,
Nasioutziki Maria,
Boni Ekaterini,
Bontis John
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016349509021200
Subject(s) - medicine , conjunctiva , estrogen , gynecology , physiology , pregnancy , menstrual cycle , epithelium , vaginal smear , menopause , obstetrics , hormone , pathology , estrous cycle , biology , genetics
Background . To investigate whether the conjunctival epithelium shows cyclical maturation changes during the ovarian cycle and to study the cytological appearance of the conjunctiva in postmenopausal and pregnant women. Patients . Fifteen menstruating women with ovulatory cycles, ten postmenopausal women. and twelve pregnant women in the second or the third trimester of their pregnancy. Interventions . Conjunctival and vaginal smears were taken on a near‐daily basis. Main outcome measures . The percentage of the parabasal, the intermediate and the superficial cells (Maturation Index) in each specimen was determined. Results . In the conjunctival smears of the menstruating women cyclical maturation changes were noted. These changes were parallel to those of the vaginal smears, but to a minor degree. No cyclical changes were found in either the postmenopausal women or in the pregnant women, showing an extreme shift to the left in the Maturation Index. Conclusion . Conjunctiva appears to be a relatively estrogen‐sensitive epithelium.