Oral lichen planus and HLA B

Area of Science:

• Immunogenetics
• Oral Medicine

Background:

• Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an autoimmune condition with an unknown cause.
• Carbohydrate metabolism disorders are potential contributing factors to OLP.
• Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) B and DR 3/4 antigens are known to be cross-linked.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequencies of HLA B antigens in Croatian OLP patients.
• To compare HLA B antigen frequencies between OLP patients and healthy controls.
• To investigate the association between specific HLA B antigens and carbohydrate metabolism disorders in OLP.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 50 Croatian OLP patients and 1089 healthy controls.
• Analysis of HLA B antigen frequencies in both groups.
• Comparison of HLA B antigen profiles in OLP patients with and without carbohydrate metabolism disorders.

Main Results:

• Significant alterations in HLA B antigen frequencies were observed in OLP patients compared to controls.
• HLA B 15 antigen frequency was 4 times higher, and HLA B 18 was 4 times lower in OLP patients.
• Specific HLA B antigens (B16, B2, B40) were more frequent in OLP patients with carbohydrate disorders, while others (B5, B7, BX) were more frequent in those without.

Conclusions:

• Certain HLA B antigens may predispose individuals to oral lichen planus.
• The association of HLA B 15 and B 18 with DR 3/4 antigens in diabetes mellitus suggests a potential link between OLP and carbohydrate metabolism disorders.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the role of specific HLA B antigens in OLP pathogenesis.