Hepatitis C virus chronic infection and oral lichen planus: an Italian case-control study

The aim of the study was to investigate the possible epidemiological relationship between hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection and oral lichen planus (OLP) in centre-south Italy.

In a case-control study three groups of patients were investigated: group 1 (82 patients): patients with histologically confirmed OLP were tested for HCV infection; group 2 (165 patients): patients with chronic HCV infection were examined for OLP; group 3 (466 participants): control group: healthy individuals who had been hospitalized in the Trauma-Orthopaedic Ward and had been tested for HCV.

In group 1, 11.4% of the participants were HCV-positive and HCV was found in 10.8% of the patients above 50 years of age. Eight participants (5.5%) of group 2 showed lesions possibly related to OLP: only two had a histology consistent with OLP. In group 3, 5.4% participants had chronic HCV infection, but HCV was found in 10% of the participants of 50 years and above. A weak overall association between HCV and OLP (odds ratio 2.27; 95% confidence interval 0.94, 5.35; P<0.05) was seen and the result was not statistically significant in participants aged 50 years and above (odds ratio 1.08; 95% confidence interval 0.39, 2.88; P=0.86).

Our data suggest that no clear association exists between OLP and chronic HCV disease. It is possible that the association is mainly due to the frequency of each disease in the population.