The presence of thyroid autoantibodies is not associated with anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in oral lichen planus patients.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Our previous study found that 144 of 588 oral lichen planus (OLP) patients have thyroglobulin antibody (TGA) and/or thyroid microsomal antibodies (TMA) but do not have gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA, designated as thyroid autoantibodies-positive OLP or TA+OLP patients). To test the role of thyroid autoantibodies in causing microcytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in OLP patients, this study assessed whether 144 TA+OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 healthy control subjects (HCSs) or 305 TGA/TMA/GPCA-negative (Abs-) OLP patients (designated as Abs-OLP patients).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The mean corpuscular volume, blood hemoglobin (Hb), and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine levels were measured and compared between any two of three groups of 144 TA+OLP patients, 305 Abs-OLP patients, and 588 HCSs.

RESULTS

We found that both 144 TA + OLP patients and 305 Abs-OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 HCSs (all P-values <0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia between 144 TA+OLP patients and 305 Abs-OLP patients (all P-values >0.05).

CONCLUSION

The disease of OLP itself rather than the thyroid autoantibodies plays a pivotal role in causing the significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in TA+OLP patients.