Humoral immunological parameters in Italian patients with oral lichen planus

Bull Group Int Rech Sci Stomatol Odontol. 1994 Sep-Dec;37(3-4):71-7.

Abstract

Serum humoral immunological parameters were determined in 25 patients with atrophic-erosive forms of oral lichen planus (OLP) (Group 1), in 28 patients with reticular-plaque-like lesions of OLP (Group 2) and in 21 healthy patients without oral lesions (Group 3). Comparing patients affected by atrophic-erosive forms of OLP (Group 1) with normal controls (Group 3), increased levels of serum IgG approaching the statistical significance were found (Kruskal-Wallis test p = 0.0572). It was also found a significantly higher value of kappa (Kruskal-Wallis test p = 0.0017; Mann-Whitney test with Bonferroni's correction p < 0.001) and lambda (Kruskal-Wallis test p = 0.0346; Mann-Whitney test with Bonferroni's correction p = 0.013) light chains in patients with atrophic-erosive OLP (Group 1) as compared with normal controls (Group 3). However these higher levels were probably caused by strong prevalence of chronic liver diseases (40%), in patients with atrophic-erosive variety of OLP. No one of these patients was affected by autoimmune liver disease. No differences were noted between atrophic-erosive OLP (Group 1) and hyperkeratotic OLP (Group 2). This study does not confirm the suggestion that patients with OLP may have a generalized immunologic disorder and it also add some evidences that the role of humoral immunity in the pathogenesis of OLP is probably secondary to the cell-mediated reaction against basal keratinocytes.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibody Formation
  • Complement C3 / analysis
  • Complement C4 / analysis
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins / blood
  • Italy
  • Lichen Planus, Oral / classification
  • Lichen Planus, Oral / immunology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Complement C3
  • Complement C4
  • Immunoglobulins