Molecular detection of human papillomavirus DNA in dysplastic and non-dysplastic oral lichen planus patients

Abstract

Introduction: Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of cell-mediated dysregulation characterized by relapses and remissions. The aetiology of OLP has been extensively studied for decades. The pathogenesis is unclear with a debatable malignant transformation. The pathogenesis and malignant transformation of OLP may be affected by viruses such as Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), and stress. HPV has been proved to be an etiological agent in oropharyngeal cancers and non-tobacco-associated leukoplakia. The role of human papillomavirus in the pathogenesis of OLP and its malignant transformation has to be studied extensively. Aim: This study aims to detect the presence of HPV DNA in the biopsy samples of dysplastic and non-dysplastic OLP and thus determine the role the virus played in the malignant transformation of OLP. Materials and Methods: Biopsy samples comprising 250 OLP tissues were collected. The DNA was extracted from the fixed tissue by using the Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was performed using primers to amplify the HPV E6 gene. Results: Hundred and three out of 250 (41.2%) OLP cases were positive for HPV DNA.