Epidemiological relationship of oral lichen planus to hepatitis C virus in an Indian population.

AIM: The relationship between the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and oral lichen planus (OLP) remains a controversial subject for clinicians. Many studies aimed at studying the association between HCV and OLP have been conducted over the years. Geographical variations have been shown to be a major factor influencing this association. This study aimed at determining whether such an epidemiological relationship exists in an Indian population.

METHODS: One hundred and thirty clinically and histopathologically confirmed OLP patients (46 males and 84 females, mean age 43.47±10.48 years) and 130 age- and gender matched controls were examined for serological evidence of chronic hepatic disease, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and anti-HCV seropositivity. The blood samples were collected from both the groups and subjected to biochemical analysis for total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase enzymes using a semi-automated biochemistry analyser. HBsAg and antibody to HCV were tested by ELISA. Statistical analysis was calculated using Levene's test and the independent t-test.

RESULTS: No significant difference between serum levels of total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate aminotransferase was observed between both groups. All patients with OLP had normal liver function. None of the patients with OLP or the control subjects had antigens for HBsAg and HCV.

CONCLUSION: Patients with OLP did not have any evidence of chronic liver disease or HBV or HCV infection. The exact mechanism that exists between the association of HCV and OLP still remains unclear and this study rejects the hypothesis that established a co-relation between OLP and HCV infection.