ORAL LICHEN-PLANUS AND HCV INFECTION - A CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF 263 CASES

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces variable dermatol ogic manifestations. Our purpose was to determine whether there is an association between HCV infection and oral lichen planus (OLP). Method s Antibodies to HCV were determined in patients with OLP (263 patients ; 156 women and 107 men, with a mean age of 55.5 years) and in a contr ol population. Results Seventy six cases (28.8%) were positive for HCV antibodies with the second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent ass ay (ELISA II) test. All of these cases were confirmed with the second- generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA It) test. In 61 cases (2 3.1%), high levels of serum transaminase were found. Positivity for he patitis B virus (HBV) markers was found in 31 patients (11.7%) and for hepatitis A virus (HAV) markers in 43 patients (16.3%). None had posi tivity for hepatitis D virus (HDV) markers. As a control group, we use d 100 patients (58 women and 42 men, with a mean age of 55.3 years) re ferred to the School of Dentistry of the University of Naples ''Federi co II,'' and treated for general dental caries. In the control group, HCV antibody positivity was found in three cases. Conclusions The high pre;valence of HCV antibody in this group of patients with OLP higher than in the healthy population, suggests a link (p = 1.423 x 10(-7), chi-squared test) between these two diseases. These findings stress th e importance of liver examination in OLP patients, and the need for ot her studies on the high susceptibility to hepatitis viruses in the pop ulation in the southern part of Europe.