title: Oral manifestations of systemic and cutaneous lupus erythematosus in a Venezuelan population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to characterize oral lesions in patients with systemic and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) in a Venezuelan group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety patients with LE were studied. Oral biopsies were taken from patients who showed oral mucosal involvement. Tissue samples were investigated with histology and direct immunofluorescence techniques for the presence of immunoglobulins G, M, A and complement factor C3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 90 patients with LE, 10 patients showed oral lesions related to the disease. Sixteen lesions were investigated. Oral ulcerations accompanied by white irradiating striae occurred in five patients, erythema was observed in five patients and a white homogeneous plaque in one patient. Fifteen lesions demonstrated vacuolar basal degeneration and 12 thickening of the basement membrane histologically. Direct immunofluorescence was negative in three samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings corroborated that ulcers are not the only manifestation of LE in the oral mucosa. Clinical and histological examinations are significant as immunoproteins are not always found on the oral sample.
authors.affiliation: Dental School, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Jeaneth
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López-Labady
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villarroel-Dorrego
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mata de Henning
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004890:Erythema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000209:etiology; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D014687:Venezuela