Association of Sleep Quality, Nutritional Factors, and Salivary Melatonin and Cortisol Levels with Oral Lichen...

Background/Objectives: The etiology of oral lichen planus (OLP) is unknown, and the treatment is palliative. Considering the possible influence of factors related to lifestyle on the etiopathogenesis and behavior of OLP, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association of sleep quality, nutritional profile, and salivary melatonin and cortisol levels with OLP. Methods: Thirty-two OLP patients and 31 controls completed the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Epworth sleepiness scale, and 24 h dietary recall survey. Saliva was collected to determine melatonin and cortisol levels by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Results: The OLP patients showed higher scores in the sleep disturbances component of PSQI (p = 0.021) and lower salivary melatonin levels (p = 0.015), whereas salivary cortisol did not differ between the groups (p = 0.402). The Control group had higher prevalence of coffee drinkers (p = 0.045), whereas the OLP group had higher consumption of protein (p = 0.011), lipids (p = 0.043), calories (p = 0.022), monounsaturated fat (p = 0.030), polyunsaturated fat (p = 0.007), saturated fat (p = 0.027), cholesterol (p = 0.041), iron (p = 0.014), zinc (p = 0.048), magnesium (p = 0.025), sodium (p = 0.008), and vitamin E (p = 0.016) compared to controls. Conclusions: The results suggest that OLP is associated with lifestyle factors related to sleep and diet, as well as with lower levels of salivary melatonin. Given the exploratory nature of the study, further research is needed to better understand these findings.