Author/Authors :
Rezazadeh, Fahimeh Oral & Dental Disease Research Center - Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine - School of Dentistry - Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Sokhakian, Mahshid Student Research Committee - School of Dentistry - Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Abstract :
Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common inflammatory
disease of unknown origins. Recent studies have considered
nutritional factors concerning the pathogenesis of many
autoimmune disorders. The objective of the present study was to
investigate the plasma levels of magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca),
zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) in this disorder.
Methods: Included in this observational case-control study was
40 patients with OLP and 40 age and sex matched healthy control
subjects. Plasma levels of Mg, Ca, Zn, Cu, and Fe were specified
using an autoanalizer.
Results: The serum level of Ca was higher, but Mg, Cu, Fe and
Zn serum concentration did not differ significantly between the
patients with OLP and the healthy controls. Mean Zn concentration
was lower in patients with erosive lichen planus compared to the
non-erosive group and the healthy controls. However, only the
difference between erosive lichen planus patients and healthy
participants was significant. The mean Zn level was lower than
the normal range (70 μg/dl) in both the cases and controls.
The concentration of Fe was significantly higher in men male
patients than in females; however, the difference between men
and women was not significant in the healthy control group. The
mean Cu/Zn ratios in erosive and patient groups were slightly
higher compared with the controls. Conclusion: Trace elements such as Ca may play a role in the
ethiopathogenesis of OLP. Nevertheless, other elements such as
Zn or Cu may influence OLP, which requires further evaluation
on larger samples.
Keywords :
lichen planus , zinc , copper , calcium , magnesium , iron
