Seroprevalence of anti-HCV among patients with oral lichen planus in Southern Taiwan

A possible association between oral lichen planus (OLP) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been documented in certain populations such as Japan and Southern Europe; however, the issue remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HCV antibodies among patients with OLP in Southern Taiwan, and to assess the possible association between OLP and HCV infection. All patients enrolled in the study sought care at a hospital dental clinic. Serum samples of 104 patients with OLP and 100 controls with healthy oral mucosa, whose age and gender were matched, were respectively screened for anti-HCV antibodies by the microparticle enzyme immunoassay (AxSYM HCV version 3.0). The prevalence of HCV infection was 22.1% in the study group (23 of 104 OLP patients) and 2% in the control group (2 of 100 control subjects) respectively (P < .001). Eleven of 23 HCV-infected OLP patients (47.8%) were unaware of their HCV infection status in the study. A positive association between OLP and HCV in Southern Taiwan exists, suggesting that routine HCV infection testing of patients with OLP in Southern Taiwan should be considered.