Lichen planus (LP) is a T-cell mediated dermatosis with unknown etiology that is affecting the skin, oral mucosa, nail and hair follicle. Although the cause is not known, there are many articles in the literature that show the association between LP and hepatitis C, especially oral LP. However, this association may vary according to geographical regions. We aimed to determine whether such an epidemiological relationship exists in a group of patients with LP who applied to our clinic. The records of 145 patients who were admitted to our polyclinic between March 2014 and 2018 and diagnosed clinically and histopathologically as LP were retrospectively reviewed and none of them had anti-HCV positivity. The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C in oral LP patients has been reported to vary between geographical regions. Based on the literature and books hepatitis C screenings were performed in patients who were followed up with LP clinically and histopathologically in our polyclinic for a long time. We did not find any association between HCV and LP in our study. This could be attributed to a lower prevalence of HCV in our country or other triggering factors contributing in our cases.
___
Tziotzios C, Lee JYW, Brier T, et al. Lichen planus and lichenoid dermatoses: Clinical overview and molecular basis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;79:789804.
Mokni M, Rybojad M, Puppin D Jr, et al. Lichen planus and hepatitis C virus. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1991;24:792.
Carrozzo M, Pellicano R. Lichen planus and hepatitis C virus infection: an updated critical review. Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol. 2008;54:65-74.
Alaizari NA, Al-Maweri SA, Al-Shamiri HM, et al. Hepatitis C virus infections in oral lichen planus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aust Dent J. 2016;61:282-7.
Tozun N, Ozdogan O, Cakaloglu Y,et al. Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections and risk factors in Turkey: a fieldwork TURHEP study. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2015;21:1020-6.
Dinçer D. Hepatit C Epidemiyolojisi ve Patogenezi. Türkiye Klinikleri J Gastroenterohepatol-Special Topics. 2010;3:77-80.
Georgescu SR, Tampa M, Mitran MI,et al. Potential pathogenic mechanisms involved in the association between lichen planus and hepatitis C virus infection. Exp Ther Med. 2019;17:1045-51.
Younossi ZM, Henry L, P Ong J, et al. Systematic review with meta-analysis: extrahepatic manifestations in chronic hepatitis C virus-infected patients in East Asia. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2019;49:644-53.
Asaad T, Samdani AJ. Association of lichen planus with hepatitis C virus infection. Ann Saudi Med. 2005;25:243-6.
10. Giuliani M, Troiano G, Cordaro M,et al. Rate of malignant transformation of oral lichen planus: A systematic review. Oral Dis. 2019;25:693-709.
11. Tziotzios C, Lee JYW, Brier T, et al. Lichen planus and lichenoid dermatoses: Clinical overview and molecular basis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;79:789804.
12. Wagner G., Rose C., Sachse M.M. Clinical variants of lichen planus. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2013;11:309-19.
13. Carrozzo M, Gandolfo S, Carbone M, et al. Hepatitis C virus infection in Italian patients with oral lichen planus: a prospective case-control study. J Oral Pathol Med. 1996;25:527-33.
14. Manomaivat T, Pongsiriwet S, Kuansuwan C,et al. Association between hepatitis C infection in Thai patients with oral lichen planus: A case-control study. J Investig Clin Dent. 2018;9:12316.
15. Imhof M, Popal H, Lee JH, et al. Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies and evaluation of hepatitis C virus genotypes in patients with lichen planus. Dermatology. 1997;195:1-5.
16. Song J, Zhang Z, Ji X, et al. Lack of evidence of hepatitis in patients with oral lichen planus in China: A case control study. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2016;21:161-8.
17. Remmerbach TW, Liese J, Krause S, et al. No association of oral lichen planus and hepatitis C virus infection in central Germany. Clin Oral Investig 2016;20:193-7
18. Karavelioğlu D, Koytak ES, Bozkaya H, et al. Lichen planus and HCV infection in Turkish patients. Turk J Gastroenterol 2004;15:133-6.
19. Kirtak N, Inalöz HS, Ozgöztasi, et al. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with lichen planus in Gaziantep region of Turkey. Eur J Epidemiol 2000;16:1159-61.
20. Harman M, Akdeniz S, Dursun M, et al. Lichen planus and hepatitis C virus infection: an epidemiologic study. Int J ClinPract 2004;58:1118-9.
21. Denli YG, Durdu M, Karakas M. Diabetes and hepatitis frequency in 140 lichen planus cases in Cukurova region. J Dermatol 2004;31:293-8.
22. Ilter N, Senol E, Gürer MA, et al. Lichen planus and hepatitis C-virus infection in Turkish patients. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol.1998;10:192-3.
23. Ferahbaş A, Bahadır S, Çan G,et al. Relationship between Lichen Planus and Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Virus Infection. Turkiye Klinikleri J Dermatol 1997;7:85-8.
24. Erkek E, Bozdoğan O, Olut Al. Hepatitis C virus infection prevalence in lichen planus: examination of lesional and normal skin of hepatitis C virusinfected patients with lichen planus for the presence of hepatitis C virus RNA. Clin Exp Dermatol.2001;26:540-4.
25. An I, Aksoy M, Ozturk M,et al. Retrospective evaluation of clinical and demographic features of 135 patients with lichen planus. Ann Med Res. 2018;25:648-50.
26. Cıfcı S, Bıyık M, Asıl M,et al. The Prevalence of HBsAg, Anti HCV and Anti HIV Before Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Viral Hepatitis Journal. 2014;20:78-80.