Lack of Association between Oral Lichen Planus and Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection - a Report from Southeast Iran

Nosratzehi, Tahereh; Raiesi, Mehrab; Shahryari, Bahareh

doi:10.22034/APJCP.2018.19.6.1633

Lack of Association between Oral Lichen Planus and Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection - a Report from Southeast Iran

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Dental Research Center, Faculty of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

² General Dentist, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

10.22034/APJCP.2018.19.6.1633

Abstract

Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic autoimmune disease with an unknown etiology. Dentists
are usually the first medical practitioners to diagnose this condition although it also affects body parts other than
the oral mucosa. Several studies have reported an association between the OLP and hepatitis B and C infections.
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigen and hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies
in patients with OLP compared with healthy controls. Methods: In this case‒control study, 50 patients with clinical
and histopathological characteristics of OLP, and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls supplied serum samples
(5 mL) for evaluation by ELISA. Data were analyzed using SPSS Software, version 21. Chi-square test was applied as
appropriate. Results: In this study, the 50 patients with OLP (33 females and 17 males) had a mean age of 42.0 ± 14.5
years, and the 50 healthy subjects (33 females and 17 males) a mean age of 41.9 ± 13.7 years. None demonstrated any
evidence of HBV antigen or HCV antibodies. Discussion: We could not detect any association between OLP and viral
hepatitis. This could be attributed to a lower prevalence of hepatitis viruses compared to other countries or genotypic
variation or other etiological factors contributing in our cases.

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