HSP70 EXPRESSION AND BETHESDA CLASSIFICATION IN BUCCAL MUCOSAL CELLS OF RESIDENTS NEAR MEDAN LANDFILL

Chronic exposure to pollutants generated from landfill environments may induce oxidative and genotoxic stress in oral epithelial cells, while Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) functions as a key cellular chaperone involved in maintaining proteostasis and mediating adaptive responses to environmental stressors. This study aimed to evaluate the association between HSP70 expression and the Bethesda 2014 cytological classification in buccal mucosal cells of residents living in proximity to the Terjun landfill in Medan, Indonesia. A cross-sectional analytical design was employed involving 100 adult participants, comprising 24 individuals residing within ≤1–3 km of the landfill and 76 residing ≥3 km away. Buccal epithelial samples were collected using sterile cytobrushes, examined using Papanicolaou staining, and assessed immunocytochemically for HSP70 expression using the Immunoreactive Score (IRS), categorized as low (≤4) or high (>4). Statistical analysis was performed with Fisher’s Exact Test at a significance level of p