Aim: To explore the association between smoking and VEGF expression in cervical epithelial cells from healthy postmenopausal women.
Methods: 105 women participated in this cross-sectional study. Pap smears were derived and VEGF immunostaining was evaluated in squamous, glandular and metaplastic cells, using a semi-quantitative method (rating scale: 0-3).
Results: Smokers exhibited decreased VEGF immunoreactivity in metaplastic cells vs. non-smokers, independently of any confounding factors (0.13±0.52 vs. 0.49±0.70, p=0.039, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test for independent samples).
Conclusions: Smoking is negatively associated with VEGF expression in metaplastic cells from healthy postmenopausal women.
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