Immunohistochemical study of mononuclear cells in oral lichen planus with clinicopathological correlation

Abstract

the word Lichen Planus as a newlinefusion word from Greek and Latin. The first case of OLP was described in the newlineyear 1910 by Francois Henri Hallopeau. There are two variants of LP viz the newlinecutaneous LP and Oral LP. A definitive etiology of OLP is unknown and stress newlineis believed to be a trigger factor. The cutaneous LP is a self limiting disorder newlinewhile OLP is a chronic non remissive entity which remains a cause of morbidity. newlineThus achieving remission with OLP remains a challenge. The prevalence of LP newlineranges from 0.22 to 5% while that of OLP stands at 2.2%. Incidentally oral newlinelesions are seen in 60% of patients with cutaneous LP. The oral lesions are the newlinefirst to come and last to go. The disease of OLP can also present itself in the newlinegenital regions of the individuals of both males and females. In India the newlineincidence of OLP has ranged from 0.4 to 4.5% newlineThe aim of the study was to newlineassess the presence of mast cells in OLP compared to normal individuals by newlineimmunohistochemical analysis and to study the possible role of drugs targeting newlinemast cells in the management of OLP. The results of the study shows that newlinethere is an elevation in the mast cell count as confirmed by CD117 staining newlinecompared to normals. However the increase in mast cell is moderately higher newlinein the erosive variant. There is also a significant increase in the degranulation newlineof mast cells which is evident from the response to the treatment with the usage newlineof anti histaminics. As a subset of this study several histopathological newlineparameters were analysed which shows hyperkeratosis was very prominent in newlinereticular cases of OLP.This translational research suggests the beneficial role of drugs targeting newlinemast cells as one of the main therapeutic agent in OLP. This may be one of the newlinetreatment options in reducing the usage of excessive long term usage of newlinecorticosteroids, in both the topical, systemic and other immunomodulatory newlinedrugs.