Oral lichen planus and chronic junctional stomatitis: differences in lymphocyte subpopulations.
OBJECTIVE
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an oral counterpart or oral manifestation of the common skin disease lichen planus. Chronic junctional stomatitis (CJS) is a relatively unknown condition characterized by a stromal lymphocyte infiltrate, which is also a diagnostic feature of OLP. The differential diagnosis of OLP and CJS is unclear and they have been suggested to represent variants of the same disease.


METHODS
To investigate possible differences in lymphocyte (sub)populations between these two conditions, we immunostained 10 OLP and 10 CJS specimens for CD1-a, and the lymphocyte markers, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, and CD20. We scored the staining results by a four-step grading system and used the Fisher exact test to analyze them statistically.


RESULTS
The proportional amount of (CD20 positive) B lymphocytes was higher in CJS than in OLP and the predominance of CD4 positive T lymphocytes over CD8 positive T lymphocytes was stronger in OLP than in CJS. The differences were statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
The results reflect differences in the lymphatic infiltrate between OLP and CJS. Their significance needs further investigation.
Omar
A Ahmed Haji
AA
Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Hietanen
Jarkko
J
Kero
Mia
M
Lukinmaa
Pirjo-Liisa
PL
Hagström
Jaana
J
D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000032:analysis; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D018956:CD5 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000473:pathology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000473:pathology*
D018949:Antigens, CD1; D018951:Antigens, CD20; C419393:CD1a antigen; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D018956:CD5 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens