Publication:

Oral lichen planus and hepatitis C virus infection; a symbiotic relationship or a mere co-incidence?

Background Lichen planus (LP) is a common idiopathic chronic inflammatory immune mediated mucocutanous disease that effects stratified squamous epithelia and appendices. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is quite common across the world. A couple of reports have suggested positive association of HCV infection and oral lichen planus (OLP) and most of the studies are usually confined to Mediterranean and south European countries. Due to high incidence and suspected alliance between these two diseases in Pakistan, the following study was conducted with the view that it may help clinicians to set guidelines for HCV testing of lichen planus patients.

Methods Approximately 11500 patients from general population coming to dental diagnostics department of Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore (from March 2015-February 2016) were screened clinically for OLP and by ELISA for HCV infection. Out of these 11500 patients 103 were selected one of them incidental and the other pre-diagnosed or both incidental and both pre-diagnosed. These patients were unaware but had either one or both OLP and HCV infection which was confirmed clinically and by ELISA respectively.

Results Majority of patients presenting for other dental complaints were unaware of these diseases process going on in them and was mostly an incidental finding by the clinician. Either one or both OLP and HCV infection were more conjoint in females comprising 77.7% of the total subjects. OLP alone was most common finding comprising 66.67% of the cases. HCV infection alone was present in 15.53% whereas 16.50% subjects showed presence of both OLP and HCV infection.

Conclusions The current study could not detect statistically significant relationship between OLP and HCV infection in Pakistani population which could be due to genetic variation or may be geographic relationship.