IMMUNOPEROXIDASE EVALUATION OF LICHEN-PLANUS BIOPSIES FOR HEPATITIS-CVIRUS

Background Lichen planus is a papulosquamous dermatosis which has rece ntly been linked to infection with hepatitis C virus. It is unclear wh ether or not viral antigens may be present in the cutaneous lesions of lichen planus. Materials and methods Twenty-five paraffin-embedded sa mples of glabrous lichen planus were evaluated using immunoperoxidase staining for the presence of hepatitis C virions. Control tissues cons isted of hepatitis C-infected hepatic tissue (n = 2), normal hepatic t issue (n = 2), normal human skin (n = 1), and two cutaneous biopsies o f lichen planus from persons known to be infected with hepatitis C. Re sults The sections of hepatitis C-infected liver tissue stained positi ve for hepatitis C virions. The 25 biopsies of glabrous lichen planus, the two biopsies of lichen planus from hepatitis C patients, the two sections of normal liver, and the one normal skin sample all failed to take up the stain. Conclusions Cutaneous lesions of lichen planus are more probably reactive to the underlying infection than a manifestati on of skin involvement by this disease. This theory is supported by th e histologic findings in a lichenoid drug eruption, which are virtuall y identical to those of idiopathic lichen planus. Insufficient sensiti vity by the immunoperoxidase procedure used is a possible explanation for our results; however, it appears more probable that no virus exist s at the sites of cutaneous involvement.