title: Lichen planus--specific antigen in oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid drug eruptions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the usefulness of lichen planus-specific antigen as a marker to distinguish idiopathic oral lichen planus from oral lichenoid drug eruptions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy samples were taken from 6 patients with oral lichenoid drug eruptions and 6 patients with idiopathic oral lichen planus. Each biopsy sample was examined for the presence of lichen planus-specific antigen by using a modification of a previously described immunofluorescence method that uses autologous serum and also allogenic sera from the remaining 11 cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All autologous and allogenic immunofluorescence tests showed negative findings for lichen planus-specific antigen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lichen planus-specific antigen is not a useful marker to distinguish oral lichenoid drug eruptions from idiopathic lichen planus. This finding is in contrast with our findings in an earlier study of basal cell cytoplasmic autoantibodies.
authors.affiliation: Trinity Colllege, School of Dental Science, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: McCartan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lamey
mesh_terms: D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D017512:Lichenoid Eruptions / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D015415:Biomarkers