No association between seropositivity for hepatitis C virus and lichen planus: a case control study.
BACKGROUND
The epidemiological association of lichen planus (LP) with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been recorded from some countries and HCV RNA3 has been isolated from lesional skin in patients with LP and chronic HCV infection. The observed geographical differences regarding HCV infection and LP could be immuno-genetically related.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether HCV has a causal relationship with LP.


METHODS
Histopathologically proved cases of LP were subjected to antibody to HCV test by the Third Generation Enzyme Immunoassay Kit for the detection of antibody to HCV (Anti-HCV) in human serum or plasma. They were routinely screened in the virology department by the reagent kit, HIVASE 1 + 2, adopting the "direct sandwich principle" for the assay to detect antibodies to HIV-1 and/or HIV-2. There were 150 age and sex matched controls (not suffering from LP) and HIV-I and II negative, and negative for HCV.


RESULTS
Of the 104 patients studied only 2 patients (1.92%) of generalized LP with disease duration of more than 3 months were found to be positive for antibodies to HCV. This was not a significant finding and no statistical methods, e.g. Chi square test etc. could be applied.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatitis C virus is not significant to the causation of LP in India.
Das
Arup
A
Department of Dermatology, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, India.
Das
Jayasri
J
Majumdar
Gautam
G
Bhattacharya
Nandita
N
Neogi
Dhruba Kumar
DK
Saha
Bibhuti
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008010:Lichen Planus / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged