Probable Association Between Oral Lichen Planus and presence of Helicobacter Pylori : A Preliminary Study in a Chilean Population

Abstract

ARANEDA, S.; CASTILLO, C.; VENEGAS, B. & KEMMERLING, U. Probable asociación entre Liquen plano Oral y la presencia de Helicobacter pylori: estudio preliminar en población Chile. ABSTRACT: Oral Lichen planus (OLP) is one of the main inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa that is considered as a potentially malignant disorder. The exact pathogenesis of OLP remains to be completely understood. However, presence of bacteria has been associated to the inflammatory response observed in OLP. Particularly, Helicobacter pylori a major etiological agent of gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases and risk factor for gastric cancer, has been associated to Lichen planus. Here we studied a group of Chilean patients if there is any association between the presence of Helicobacter pylori and the clinical manifestation of OLP. We found a significant difference between the patients positive for H. pylori and the age of OLP diagnosis, suggesting that oral H. pylori might induce the disease at an earlier age. However, we could not confirm a statistically significance between the presence of the bacteria and OLP.