Cytologic changes of the respiratory tract as a consequence of air pollution and smoking

A comparison was made of cytologic abnormalities in sputum specimens from inhibitants of an urban environment with a high level of air pollution (Sarajevo) and from inhabitants of a rural area (Podvelezje). The subjects of this study were grouped according to their smoking habits and sex. At the time of the investigation, all the subjects were clinically healthy. The cytologic specimens were evaluated in reference to eosinophils, respiratory spirals, atypia of bronchial cells and squamous metaplasia. The abnormal findings were more frequent among urban inhabitants than among rural ones. In both groups the abnormalities were more pronounced in smokers than in nonsmokers and in men then in women. Atypical squamous metaplasia was observed in 56% of smokers from the urban environment. There were no significant differences in cytologic abnormalities between nonsmokers from the urban environment and smokers from the rural area.