Assessment of neopterin level and severity in lichen planus patients treated with narrow-band ultraviolet B.

Abstract

Neopterin is a cellular immunity biochemical marker. Serum and saliva neopterin levels have been reported to increase in lichen Planus. Nonetheless, analysis has not yet been made for the direct link between narrow band ultraviolet B and severity of Lichen planus. We aimed to assess serum neopterin levels in patients who receive narrow band ultraviolet B therapy treatment with lichen planus, paired with the severity of the disease. The study consisted of 35 lichen planus patients and 30 healthy individuals. A 35 patient group received narrow band ultraviolet B therapy. An enzyme-related immunosorbent assay procedure was used in serum neopterin analysis before and post-therapy. The correlation between the level and severity of the patient group was statistically significant (P = .001). In patients with severe disease, serum neopterin levels were significantly increased. Also, in the severe lichen planus group, the serum neopterin level was statistically higher than that of the mild or moderate groups (P = .001).Also, a significant decrease was seen following therapy according to serum neopterin level. Serum neopterin levels are a useful marker for the assessment of the severity and effectiveness of narrow band ultraviolet therapy. Thus, our findings may provide a new approach with the management of disease and follow-up strategies in patients with lichen planus.