Alterations of serum lipids in patients with classic cutaneous lichen planus

Background: Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the skin, mucous membranes and appendages. Like other chronic inflammatory diseases, it may be associated with metabolic disorders and dyslipidemia. Due to the discrepancies in the results of previous studies and lack of a similar study on an Iranian population, we decided to investigate and compare the serum lipid levels of LP patients and normal healthy subjects. Methods: In this case-control study, 71 patients with lichen planus confirmed by clinical and pathological examination who referred to dermatology clinic were recruited; further included were 71 subjects selected from attendants without any skin diseases matched for age, gender and BMI.with patients; the well-being of the healthy subjects was confirmed by laboratory tests, physical examination and medical history..After filling the questionnaire, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels were measured for patients and healthy subjects..The collected data were then analyzed. Results: Mean age of patients in the case group was 40.63 ± 11.41 years, 50.6% of whom were men, while 49.4% were women. Cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL levels in patients were significantly higher than the control group; it was only regarding HDL levels that no significant difference was observed between the two groups. HDL and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in patients with generalized disease. There was a recognizable correlation between elevated levels of LDL and cholesterol and disease duration. Conclusions: In this study, a disrupted lipid profile was observed in LP patients, which can be associated with disease severity. This study proposes measuring lipid serum levels prior to commencing the treatment in all known cases of lichen planus so as to preclude cardiovascular diseases if there is a problem with the lipid profile.