Causal Associations Between Immune Cell Phenotypes and Oral Lichen Planus: A Large-Scale Mendelian Randomization Study.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically identify immune cell phenotypes causally associated with oral lichen planus (OLP) susceptibility using Mendelian randomization (MR).

METHODS

This two-sample MR study evaluated causal relationships between 731 immune cell phenotypes and OLP risk. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were linkage disequilibrium-clumped (r2 < 0.001, 10,000 kb), filtered by F-statistic (>10), and harmonized across datasets (palindromic SNPs with intermediate allele frequencies removed). Inverse variance weighting was the primary method, complemented by MR-Egger, weighted median, and mode-based estimations. Heterogeneity (Cochran's Q), horizontal pleiotropy (MR-Egger intercept, MR pleiotropy residual sum, and outlier), and leave-one-out analyses were used for sensitivity checks. Associations passing multiple-testing correction were interpreted.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight immune phenotypes demonstrated significant causal associations: 19 protective and 9 risk-increasing. Five of six regulatory T-cell (Treg) phenotypes showed protective effects, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 0.916 to 0.958, and CD3 on CD4 Tregs showing the strongest effect (OR = 0.916). CD8-bright leukocytes showed the strongest risk association (OR = 1.487). Eight B cell phenotypes conferred protection, particularly human leukocyte antigen DR (HLA DR) on B cells (OR = 0.889). Monocyte phenotypes exhibited divergent effects: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells were protective (OR = 0.840), whereas HLA DR-expressing monocytes increased risk (OR range: 1.276-1.281).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides genetic evidence that OLP pathogenesis involves immunoregulatory imbalance between protective regulatory mechanisms and pathogenic effector responses. Findings support precision therapeutic strategies targeting specific immune pathways and offer insights for other oral autoimmune diseases.