title: Hepatitis C virus infection and oral lichen planus: a report from The Netherlands.
abstract: The reported frequency of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in groups of cutaneous lichen planus (CLP) and/or oral lichen planus (OLP) patients varies from about 4% to 65%. Most of these studies have been performed in countries with a high overall prevalence of HCV infection in the general population, such as the southern European countries and Japan. Limited data are available from areas with a low prevalence of HCV infection. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of HCV infection in a series of 55 patients with OLP in the Netherlands, which apparently has a low prevalence of HCV infection. None of the 55 patients revealed serological evidence of antibodies to HCV. The present data suggest that HCV infection in OLP patients in the Netherlands is probably not very common. A larger study group with a sex- and age-matched control group is required to advise against routine serological examination for HCV infection in Dutch OLP patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, ACTA/Academisch Ziekenhuis Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: van der Meij
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van der Waal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D015995:Prevalence; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012709:Serum Albumin; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin