Direct Immunofluorescence in Clinically Diagnosed Oral Lichen Planus

Abstract

Purpose: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is relatively common mucosal disease in clinical dentistry. OLP is intractable and regarded having malignant potential. Until now, there is some debate on how far OLP can be malignant, and which characteristics can be a risk factor for malignant transformation. Clinician need to know some differences between OLP and lesions similar to OLP to manage properly and suppose prognosis correctly. Therefore, the aim of this study was to divide clinical OLP into two groups and to compare the results of direct immunofluorescence (DIF) between two groups. Methods: This study was conducted on outpatients who visited at the department of Oral Medicine in Chonbuk National University Hospital from January 2007 to November 2015. Patients with DIF result were retrospectively reviewed. The selected patients were classified ‘clinical typical of OLP’ (CTO) or ‘clinical compatible with OLP’ (CCW) by modified World Health Organization diagnostic criteria of OLP and oral lichenoid lesion. Results: DIF were classified by deposition intensity or pattern of anti-human antibody and fibrinogen. The classification of fluorescence pattern in each specimen was graded as positive, possibly positive or negative. Conclusions: Both CTO and CCW had positive and possibly positive pattern. Prevalence of positive pattern was 68.8% in CTO and 52.6% in CCW and that of possibly positive pattern was 9.4% in CTO and 5.3% in CCW. Prevalence of negative was 21.8% in CTO and 42.1% in CCW.