title: Humoral immunological parameters in Italian patients with oral lichen planus.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Turin.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gandolfo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrozzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Broccoletti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cascio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000917:Antibody Formation; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D007558:Italy; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D007136:Immunoglobulins