Oral lichen planus: salival biomarkers cortisol, immunoglobulin<scp>A</scp>, adiponectin

<jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Oral lichen planus (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>) is a chronic mucocutaneous disease, inflammatory and autoimmune in character, in which the pathogenesis is not fully understood. Psychological stress has also been implicated in triggering or exacerbating the disease.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objective</jats:title><jats:p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychological profile, sleep, and salivary biological markers—cortisol, immunoglobin<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>(<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>g<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>), and adiponectin – in patients with oral lichen planus (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>The sample consisted of 65 patients (33 with<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>and 32 control patients). Patients completed hospital anxiety and depression scales (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HADD</jats:styled-content>,<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HADA</jats:styled-content>). Questionnaires were used to assess sleepiness: the<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">P</jats:styled-content>ittsburgh sleep quality index (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PSQI</jats:styled-content>) and the<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">E</jats:styled-content>pworth sleepiness scale (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">ESS</jats:styled-content>). A visual analog scale (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">VAS</jats:styled-content>) was used for rating pain. Unstimulated whole saliva was evaluated, together with total proteins: cortisol,<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>g<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>, and adiponectin.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Patients with<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>obtained significantly higher<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HADA</jats:styled-content>and<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PSQI</jats:styled-content>scores than control subjects (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.001,<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.012, respectively). Total salivary protein (flow at rest) analysis found that total proteins were higher in the<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>group (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.001). In the<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>group,<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>g<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>was 80.3 ± 51.3 vs. the control group 48.9 ± 32.8 (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.005). Mean cortisol was 0.5 ± 0.3 μg/dl in the<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>group vs. 0.4 ± 0.2 μg/dl in the control group (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.010). The<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>group showed a correlation between the<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HADA</jats:styled-content>variable and pain (<jats:italic>r</jats:italic> = 0.358;<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.041),<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">HADD</jats:styled-content>(<jats:italic>r</jats:italic> = 0.568;<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.001), and<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">PSQI</jats:styled-content>(<jats:italic>r</jats:italic> = 0.537;<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.001).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p><jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">OLP</jats:styled-content>patients presented worse psychological profiles and sleep disturbances, as well as higher values for<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>g<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">A</jats:styled-content>, cortisol, and total proteins than control subjects.</jats:p></jats:sec>