title: Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with oral lichen planus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic mucocutaneous disease of uncertain etiology. Recent reports suggest that LP is an extrahepatic manifestation of Hepatitis C infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with oral LP and to study the tests of liver function in patients with oral LP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional case-control study was carried out on 25 patients with oral LP and an equal number of controls. The study was conducted in the outpatient department of a dental college for a period of six months between January and June 2008. The sera of the patients and controls were tested for HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) using reverse transcription primed-polymerase chain reaction and liver function tests (bilirubin, transaminases, and alkaline phosphatase).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 25 patients with LP, three (12%) had HCV infection. None of the controls had HCV RNA positivity ( P = 0.2347). Oral LP patients had higher serum bilirubin and transaminases when compared with controls ( P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in alkaline phosphatase. HCV-positive and -negative patients did not differ significantly in liver function tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An increased prevalence of HCV infection was seen in oral LP patients. Our findings support a possible etiological association between these two diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Career Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, UP, India. karavinda1@gmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Konidena
authors.forename: B V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Pavani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral