Oral Lichen Planus in Relation to Transaminase Levels and Hepatitis C Viral Antibodies Detection: A Clinical Study

Background: Lichen planus (LP) is a common long term inflammatory disorder that affects skin and mucous membranes. Though mostly asymptomatic in oral mucosa it may cause severe morbidity in erosive cases. The relation between LP and liver diseases especially hepatitis C have been proposed by many authors with varied results. Alteration in liver function tests reflected by increased levels of transaminase levels, i.e., serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) with or without the presence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been observed in oral lichen planus (OLP) patients in many studies. So this study was undertaken with the intent to further evaluate any alliance between OLP and liver disease principally hepatitis C. Materials and methods: The study consisted of 30 histopathologically confirmed patients of OLP and 30 age and sex matched healthy volunteers visiting the outpatient department of a dental hospital over a period of 1 year. All subjects in both groups were subjected to SGOT, SGPT and HCV antibodies detection. Results: The percentage of patients with elevated SGOT and SGPT values was higher among the OLP patients in the study group (40%) in comparison to subjects in the control group (7%). The mean values of SGOT and SGPT were also higher in the study group in comparison to the control group. No HCV antibodies were found in the serum of subjects in both the study group and control group. Conclusion: Liver disease or hepatitis C can be considered a risk factor for LP and may lead to diagnosis, early treatment and possibly a better prognosis in asymptomatic OLP patients. Further studies with large samples are recommended to prove the current hypothesis regarding the association between LP and chronic liver disease and/or HCV infection.