Quantitative histological analysis of the epithelium of the ventral surface of hamster tongue in experimental iron deficiency.

Quantitative analysis of the ventral tongue epithelium of iron-deficient hamsters revealed significant progressive alterations in epithelial compartment thickness. As iron deficiency developed there was an initial increase in the proportion of the epithelium made up by progenitor cells and a decrease in the proportion formed by maturing cells. With increasing degree of deficiency, the maturation compartment formed less, and the keratinized compartment more, of the epithelium until, at the stage of anaemia, there was a significant reduction in the maturation compartment and a significant increase in the keratin thickness.