Cytomorphological assessment of buccal mucosal epithelial cells in Sudanese children with sickle cell anaemia: a pilot case-control study
Abstract
Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the presence of homozygous haemoglobin S. To compare the cytomorphological features of buccal mucosal epithelial cells in children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) receiving treatment with those of healthy controls, in a pilot case-control study. Buccal smears were collected from 80 Sudanese children: 40 children with homozygous SCA (HbSS) receiving treatment (cases) and 40 clinically healthy children matched for age and sex (controls). Smears were fixed immediately in 95% ethanol, stained with the Papanicolaou (Pap) technique and examined qualitatively by a cytopathologist blinded to group allocation. Each smear was screened in its entirety for predefined features: nuclear enlargement, hyperchromasia, nuclear membrane irregularity and cytoplasmic changes. Data were analysed descriptively using SPSS version 26.0. Of the 40 cases, 22 (55%) were female and 18 (45%) were male, with a mean age of 9.48 years (range 3–15 years). No cytomorphological abnormalities were identified in the buccal smears of either cases or controls. In this pilot study, no cytomorphological differences were observed between treated children with SCA and healthy controls. Because no pretreatment assessment or untreated SCA group was available, these findings cannot be attributed to treatment. Larger prospective studies are needed.
Related
- The mucosal immune microenvironment in chronic pharyngitis: epithelial barrier dysfunction, inflammatory persistence, and therapeutic perspectives
- Clinical Outcomes of Partial Injection Underwater Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for Superficial Non-ampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumors (With Video).
- Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Gastric-Type Mucosal Lesions in Non-Ampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumors Based on Mucin Phenotype.
- Artificial intelligence-based assessment of gastric mucosal exposure and its association with lesion detection: a multicenter study
- Cytomorphological criteria for the differential diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer
BibTeX
@article{batran2026cytomorphological,
title = {{Cytomorphological assessment of buccal mucosal epithelial cells in Sudanese children with sickle cell anaemia: a pilot case-control study}},
author = {Samah Abd-Elrahim Batran and Samia Adam Abdulatif and Zeinab Ahamed Daffa-Allah Mohamed and Yosef Mohamed-Azzam Zakout},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-76752-x},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-76752-x},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cytomorphological assessment of buccal mucosal epithelial cells in Sudanese children with sickle cell anaemia: a pilot case-control study
AU - Samah Abd-Elrahim Batran
AU - Samia Adam Abdulatif
AU - Zeinab Ahamed Daffa-Allah Mohamed
AU - Yosef Mohamed-Azzam Zakout
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-76752-x
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-76752-x
AB - Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the presence of homozygous haemoglobin S. To compare the cytomorphological features of buccal mucosal epithelial cells in children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) receiving treatment with those of healthy controls, in a pilot case-control study. Buccal smears were collected from 80 Sudanese children: 40 children with homozygous SCA (HbSS) receiving treatment (cases) and 40 clinically healthy children matched for age and sex (controls). Smears were fixed immediately in 95% ethanol, stained with the Papanicolaou (Pap) technique and examined qualitatively by a cytopathologist blinded to group allocation. Each smear was screened in its entirety for predefined features: nuclear enlargement, hyperchromasia, nuclear membrane irregularity and cytoplasmic changes. Data were analysed descriptively using SPSS version 26.0. Of the 40 cases, 22 (55%) were female and 18 (45%) were male, with a mean age of 9.48 years (range 3–15 years). No cytomorphological abnormalities were identified in the buccal smears of either cases or controls. In this pilot study, no cytomorphological differences were observed between treated children with SCA and healthy controls. Because no pretreatment assessment or untreated SCA group was available, these findings cannot be attributed to treatment. Larger prospective studies are needed.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -