Expression of CD1a by Langerhan's Cells in Oral Lichen Planus - A Retrospective Analysis.

Abstract

Langerhan's Cells (LCs) are dendritic cells of the oral epithelium which play a role in a series of oral lesions from gingivitis to oral cancer. Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is an oral mucosal T-lymphocyte mediated immunologic reaction to an unidentified putative antigen or allergen. The aim of this study was to quantify the presence of immature LCs in OLP comparing them with normal epithelium. A retrospective study using 30 of OLP cases were conducted. Immunohistochemistry was performed using polyclonal anti-CD1a antibodies to identify LCs in 10 cases of normal tissue and 30 samples of OLP. The distribution of LCs among lesional tissue and normal mucosa was analysed using Mann-Whitney U test. LC population in OLP was significantly higher when compared to the normal epithelium (p<0.001). The increase in LCs indicates the active role played during the antigen detection in OLP and subsequent presentation to T-lymphocytes.