Recently it was shown that, the most important environmental factor which threat people’s health is cigarette smoking and it has determinental effect on body systems. Contrary to developed country, cigarette smoking velocity is increasing in our country. It is reported that long duration and more number of smoking cigarette increases the carcinoma risk of larynx and upper respiratory tract in persons especially over 55 years old
9.
Cigarette is a mixture of over 4000 substances. These include pharmalogically active, toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic structures. Among these substances, 43 carcinogens are defined mainly polyaromatic and heterocyclic hydrocarbons 3.
In spite of a few studies in literature about the impact of smoking on nasal bacterial flora, it is known that smoking cigarette demolished respiratory ciliar activity and mucous secretion 6. Mucosal lining of the larynx and other upper respiratory tract is directly affected by the cigarette smoke and gases 9. In respiratory system, cigarette smoke has negative effects on cleaning function, on the cells that surround the respiratory tract, ciliary activity, fluidity of secretion that cover the respiratory mucosa, respiratory function and immune system. Outcomes of these pathophysiological affects, loss of cilias, hyperplasia of mucosal gland increase in mucosal secretion and goblet cells, decreases in mucociliar clarence and macrophage activity and minor structural variation can be observed in respiratory epithelia. As a result of these affects, defense mechanisms of respiratory tracts may be loss and chronic infection can be developed 10-12.
The normal nasal flora contains; Coagulase negative staphylococci, Corynebacterium sp, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, Streptococcus viridans, Propionobacterium sp and Peptostreptococcus sp. In addition, Streptococcus pneumonia, nonpathogenic Neisseria, Moraxella lacunata may be found 13,14. In our study the same microorganisms growth in the nasal flora. The most common isolated microorganisms in the each two groups were Coagulase negative staphylococci. When the comparison was made between microorganisms isolated from nasal flora of smoking and non-smoking group we found statistically significant difference except Coagulase negative staphylococcus (p<0.05).
Because the effect of smoking cigarette on respiratory tract, nasal potential bacterial pathogens (S. aureus, Neisseria meningitis) may be come an infective microorganisms 13,14. In previously reported studies, passive cigarette smoking by the babies and yang children, increases the morbidity dependent with respiratory infections especially in the first two years of life 15. Durmaz et al 6, investigated the nasal carriage of methiciline resistance S. aureus between smokers and the persons who are working in cigarette factory and non-smoker subjects. Methiciline resistant S. aureus carriage was not statistically significant between two groups but it was found significantly comparing to the non-smoker control group. Ylikoski et al 16, reported that H. influenza and S. pneumoniae were growth on 6% of nasal cavity. In our study the ratio of H. influenzae isolation was 1.7% even no bacteria isolated from non-smoker group.
In conclusion; smoking cigarette may be a cause of nose and sinuses disease by affecting the nasal flora and may be considered that these diseases are seen among smokers more frequently.