Lichen planus and HCV infection in Turkish patients.
OBJECTIVE
A relation between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with lichen planus (LP) has been reported in the literature but remains controversial. To find out the prevalence of HVC infection among patients with LP.


METHODS
Forty-one cases of LP diagnosed at the Dermatology Clinic of our hospital between March 1995 and May 1996 were evaluated (22 men and 19 women; mean age 41.6 years). They were screened for the presence of HBsAg, anti HBs, and anti-HCV by ELISA and HCV-RNA by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Blood donors registered in Ankara University Ibni Sina Hospital Blood Bank were used as a control group.


RESULTS
Of the 41 LP patients, 2 (4.8%) had anti-HCV positivity together with HCV-RNA positivity. Twelve patients (29.2%) had anti-HBs and 3 patients (7.3%) had HBsAg positivity. In blood donors, anti-HCV positivity prevalence was 2.5%.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that no relationship exists between hepatitis C virus infection and lichen planus among Turkish patients.
Karavelioğlu
Didem
D
Department of Gastroenterology, Başkent University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. eskoytak@yahoo.com
Koytak
Elif Sare
ES
Bozkaya
Hakan
H
Uzunalimoğlu
Ozden
O
Bozdayi
A Mithat
AM
Yurdaydin
Cihan
C
D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral