Prevalence of Viral Liver Disease and Oral Lichen Planus in Patients Who Visited Dental Clinics: A Study by the Ehime Dental Association

Abstract

Background: The association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and oral lichen planus (OLP), an extrahepatic manifestation, is well known. There are still patients with viral liver disease in this country who are not receiving appropriate treatment. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of OLP and untreated hepatitis virus infection in patients who visited dental clinics in Ehime prefecture, in western Japan. Methods: Patients who visited 35 dental clinics in Japan from March 2018 to June 2018 were analyzed. The items examined are as follows: (1) the number who visited the dental clinics, (2) the numbers of OLP patients, HCV-infected patients, and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients, (3) the numbers of OLP patients, HCV-infected patients and HBV-infected patients encouraged to be examined for liver diseases. Results: There were 19,077 patients in total and the numbers of OLP, HCV-infected and HBV-infected patients were 42, 69 and 76, respectively. Of the OLP patients, 66.7% (28/42) were encouraged to be examined for liver disease and 47.6% (20/42) had complications of liver disease. The most common complication was HCV-related liver disease (70%, 14/20) and 78.6% had not eliminated HCV (p=0.0287). The dentists encouraged 33.3% of the HCV-infected patients and 36.8% of the HBV-infected patients to be investigated by physicians for liver disease. Of the 69 patients with hepatitis C, the rate of persistent infection was significantly higher than that with viral clearance (72.5%, p=0.0001). Conclusions: Among the various dental clinics in Ehime prefecture, half of OLP patients had complication of liver disease, many of them with persistent HCV infection. Dentists need to have knowledge of liver disease and infection control measures and provide information through medical cooperation.