Lack of association between hepatotropic transfusion transmitted virus infection and oral lichen planus in British and Italian populations.
BACKGROUND
A possible association between oral lichen planus (OLP) and chronic hepatic disease has been found in some populations, although this is probably geographically influenced. In 1997 a new hepatotropic virus, transfusion transmitted virus (TTV), was identified but has not been studied in relation to OLP.


OBJECTIVE
The present investigation evaluated the genoprevalence of TTV DNA in the sera of British and Italian patients suffering from OLP using two different sets of primers to identify TTV subgenomic DNA.


METHODS
Study groups comprised 40 adult subjects (21 British, 19 Italian) with OLP. For each country, two control groups, a disease-control group and a healthy-control group, were included. The presence of TTV DNA in the sera of patients and control subjects was assessed using two different polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and DNA sequence analysis.


RESULTS
Statistical analysis did not reveal evidence of any association between TTV infection and OLP or country of residence.


CONCLUSIONS
An association between TTV and OLP is unlikely.
Bez
C
C
Department of Oral Medicine, Eastman Dental Institute for Oral Health Care Sciences, UCL, University of London, UK.
Hallett
R
R
Carrozzo
M
M
Lodi
G
G
Gandolfo
S
S
Carrassi
A
A
Scully
C
C
Porter
S R
SR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000821:virology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D022783:Torque teno virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006113:United Kingdom
D004279:DNA, Viral