ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic disease with bandlike lymphocyte infiltration. STUDY DESIGN: To elucidate the immunologic phenotype of OLP, we analyzed the presence of CD5(+), CD20(+), CD27(+) and/or CD38(+) lymphocytes in a series of 70 atrophic OLP biopsy samples. RESULTS: CD27(+) and CD38(+) cells were present in 84% and 54% of the lesions, respectively. The lesions were graded as T-cell dominant, B-cell dominant, or a mixed lesion based on CD5(+) and CD20(+) cells in the inflammatory infiltration with the following results: 26%, 7%, and 67%, respectively. CD27 expression was found in 67% of the T-cell dominant, in 80% of the B-cell dominant, and in 91% of mixed lesions. The corresponding figures for CD38 were 72%, 80%, and 62%. CONCLUSIONS: CD27(+) and CD38(+) lymphocytes represent abnormal mononuclear cell populations in atrophic OLP lesions indicating 2 forms of OLP might exist with different pathogenesis, despite similar histology and clinical behavior.
Subject(s)
ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1/metabolism , B-Lymphocyte Subsets/metabolism , Lichen Planus, Oral/immunology , Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7/metabolism , ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1/immunology , Adult , Aged , Antigens, CD/classification , Antigens, CD/immunology , Antigens, CD/metabolism , B-Lymphocyte Subsets/classification , B-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Lichen Planus, Oral/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/classification , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/metabolism , Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7/immunologyABSTRACT
The mucosal membrane of the oral cavity displays at times classical developmental lesions considered to be variations of normal structures rather than having disease characteristics. Of these lesions leukoedema, Fordyce granules, geographic-, fissured- and hairy tongue, median rhomboid glossitis and lingual varices were studied in 598 patients referred to the School of Dentistry, Tehran, Iran. The prevalence was studied in relation to age, gender, occupation, education, smoking habits, general health, addictions and or drug therapies. Oral developmental lesions were seen in 295 patients (49.3%). Only Fordyce granules (27,9%), fissured tongue (12,9%), leukoedema (12,5%) and hairy tongue (8,9%) had enough cases for statistical analysis. Three of these lesions increased with age but not fissured tongue. All were more common in men. After adjusting for age, the parameters education, occupation and complaints upon referral had little influence on the prevalence of the lesions. Fewer Fordyce granules were seen in oral mucosa of smoking men. Leukoedema and hairy tongue were significantly associated with smoking, leukoedema with diabetes mellitus. We conclude that there was a highly significant association between these oral lesions and age, gender and smoking. Few significant associations were found between oral lesions and general diseases.