title: A comparative immunohistochemical and immunophenotypical study on lymphocytes expression in patients affected by oral lichen planus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an immune-mediated mucocutaneous disease of uncertain aetiology. OLP has many manifestations: reticular, erosive, atrophic, plaque like, papular, bullous, with unique etiopathogenetic working. The purpose of this study is to find a link between different clinical types of lichen and the alterations of lymphocytes on peripheral blood and oral mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 21 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age of patients was 53.82 years, between 31 and 78 years. OLP Diagnosis was afterwards confirmed by histopathology. Selected patients underwent to clinical evaluation, lesion characterization, incisional biopsy, samples histological analysis, peripheral blood collection. Blood specimens were submitted to cell count determination with differential, characterization of populations and circulating lymphocyte subpopulations using monoclonal antibodies in flow cytometry. Referring to the clinical presentation of lesions, patients were divided in two groups: red lesions (RL) and white lesions (WL) and compared with an age-matched control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of the immunophenotypic study showed correlation between WL and the expression of CD19 lymphocytes (r = 0.693, P = 0.0005). The results of immunohistochemical study performed on histological specimens showed a significant correlation between RL group and expression of all lymphocyte tested (CD3 r = 0.722 P = 0.0002, CD4 r = 0.579 P = 0.0060, CD56 r = 0.513 P = 0.0173, CD8 r = 0.548 P = 0.0102).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We assume there is the responsibility of the expression of lymphocytes, not only type but also as quantity, in determining RL or WL manifestation of OLP. Circulating lymphocytes may have a role, too.
authors.affiliation: Tuscan School of Dental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lorenzini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viviano
authors.forename: Elettra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chisci
authors.forename: Glauco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chisci
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picciotti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000032:analysis; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000032:analysis; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000032:analysis; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018941:Antigens, CD19; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; C428200:FCGR3B protein, human; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; C508017:IL2RA protein, human; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; C522918:NCAM1 protein, human; D017452:Receptors, IgG
keywords: blood; immunohistochemistry; lesion; lymphocyte; oral lichen planus