Serum antioxidant micronutrient levels in oral lichen planus

The aim of this study was to elucidate any association between oral lichen planus (OLP) and serum antioxidant micronutrients by a population-based cas e-control study. A total of 9536 subjects were examined, and 62 (58 reticul ar, 4 atrophic and erosive) diagnosed with OLP at referral facilities were compared with four controls per case (n=248) selected among disease-free su bjects matched for age and sex. Serum levels of micronutrients (retinol, al pha -tocopherol, zeaxanthin/lutein and cryptoxanthin, lycopene, alpha -caro tene and beta -carotene) were estimated by the high performence liquid chro matography (HPLC) method. Among cases, mean serum retinol level (2.820 +/-0 .849 mu mol/l) was significantly higher compared with that of controls (2.5 62 +/-0.735 mu mol/l) (P<0.05). No significant differences were noted in ca rotenoid levels examined in this study, except for a lower level of lycopen e found in atrophic/erosive OLP cases. The results of this study suggest th at low serum retinol or carotenoid levels are not risk factors for occurren ce of lichen planus, and any specific benefits of antioxidant micronutrient s cannot be claimed for this inflammatory disorder.