Histologic changes in pancreas in relation to smoking and coffee-drinking habits

Histologic alterations in the epithelium of the ducts and exocrine portions of the parenchyma and thickening of the walls of the arterioles and arteries in the pancreas in relation to smoking habits was studied in 22,344 slides from 560 autopsied subjects. Only 5.4% of the nonsmokers had medium to high percentages of ductal cells with atypical nuclei. This rose to 50.7% in light smokers and to 74.9% in 40+ a day smokers. Advanced findings (increased numbers) of cells with atypical nuclei were found in the acinar cells of the parenchyma in only 1.8% of nonsmokers; 11.4% in less than 20 cigarettes a day smokers; 29.2% in 20-39 a day smokers; and 69.1% in 40+ a day smokers. Moderate or advanced hyaline thickening of arterioles in 12.8% of the nonsmokers increased to 74.4% in the heaviest smoking group. A similar relationship was observed for fibrous thickening in the arteries. Coffee drinking was not related to histologic alterations in the cells within the pancreas.