Abstract
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common chronic inflammatory disease affecting the oral mucosa. The pathogenesis of OLP is incompletely understood but is thought to be related to the immune system. As the oral cavity is a major reservoir and transmission gateway for bacteria, viruses, and fungi, the microbial composition of the oral cavity could play a role in the pathogenesis of OLP. However, limited by analytic technology and knowledge of the microbial community in the oral cavity, it is not yet clear which pathogens are associated with OLP. Next generation sequencing (NGS) is a powerful tool to identify pathogens for many infectious diseases. In this study, we compared the host cell gene expression profiles and the microbial profiles between OLP patients and matched healthy individuals. We identified the activation of the hepatocyte nuclear factor alpha (HNF4A) network in OLP patients and potential pathogens, including Corynebacterium matruchotii, Fusobacterium periodonticum, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus oralis, and Prevotella denticola. Prevotella denticola is capable of activating the HNF4A gene network. Our findings shed light on the previously elusive association of OLP with various diseases like hepatitis, and indicate that OLP is a T-helper type 17 (Th17) mediated mucosal inflammatory process. The identified molecular pathways and microbes could be used to inform future investigations into OLP pathogenesis and to develop novel therapeutics for OLP treatment.
Highlights
Lichen planus is a common chronic mucocutaneous inflammatory disease affecting the skin, nails, eyes, urogenital tract, and oral mucosa [1]
As a variant of lichen planus, Oral lichen planus (OLP) is believed to affect the oral mucosa by T-cell-mediated chronic inflammation, and some investigators suggest that Th2-mediated inflammation can contribute to the pathogenesis of OLP [2]
We studied 10 patients with OLP and five control patients without OLP; our OLP patient population had signs of both reticular and erosive patterns, and the most common sites of involvement were the buccal mucosa, gingiva, and tongue (Table 1)
Summary
Lichen planus is a common chronic mucocutaneous inflammatory disease affecting the skin, nails, eyes, urogenital tract, and oral mucosa [1]. Oral lichen planus (OLP) occurs in the oral cavity. As a variant of lichen planus, OLP is believed to affect the oral mucosa by T-cell-mediated chronic inflammation, and some investigators suggest that Th2-mediated inflammation can contribute to the pathogenesis of OLP [2]. Five clinical subtypes of OLP are usually seen: reticular, plaque-like, atrophic, erosive-ulcerative, and bullous. Symptomatic lesions can appear and regress at intervals. Cutaneous involvement in addition to oral mucosal lesions is seen clinically in a subset of patients [3]. The most commonly affected oral location in any of the types of OLP is the buccal mucosa, usually with symmetrical involvement [4]
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