Expression and significance of interleukin-35 in lesion tissue of oral lichen planus patients

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Objective: To investigate the expression of Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBi3) and interleukin-12p35 (IL-12p35) in two subunits of interleukin-35 (IL-35) in oral lichen planus (OLP) lesions, and to explore the role of IL-35 played in the formation and development of OLP lesions. Methods: Totally 41 samples of OLP lesions and 15 samples of normal tissues were collected from patients of the Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from October 2010 to December 2016. The expression levels of EBi3 mRNA and IL-12p35 mRNA in the samples were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and the distribution and expression of protein EBi3 and IL-12p35 were detected by immunohistochemistry. The potential relationship between IL-35 and clinicopathological features of OLP was analyzed. Results: The expression [M(Q(25), Q(75))] of EBi3 [3.38 (1.63, 11.25)] and IL-12p35 mRNA [6.39 (2.55, 14.30)] in OLP lesion tissues were significantly higher than those in normal control group [1.41 (0.33, 3.16), 2.47 (1.10, 5.14)] (Z=-2.806, P=0.005; Z=-2.276, P=0.023), respectively. The positive expression rates of EBi3 and IL-12p35 were 66% (27/41) and 39% (16/41), respectively, were significantly higher in OLP lesion tissues comparing with that in normal oral mucosa tissues [0%(0/15)] (P<0.05). The relative expressions of EBi3 and IL-12p35 were positively correlated (r=0.404, P=0.009). A significant correlation was found between EBi3 protein over expression and the degeneration of base cells in OLP lesions (χ(2)=9.172, P=0.010). The positive expression rate of IL-12p35 protein in erosive type lesions was higher than that in non-erosive type lesions (χ(2)=7.220, P=0.007). The positive expression rate of IL-35 protein in OLP lesions [34% (14/41)] was higher than that in normal control group (χ(2)=6.829, P=0.009). The expression rate of IL-35 in erosive type lesions (10/20) was significantly higher than that in eruption type lesions (4/21) (χ(2)=4.364, P=0.037). Conclusions: The expression of IL-35 in OLP localized lesions was up-regulated, suggesting that IL-35 might play an important role in OLP lesion formation.