Vitamin D in the treatment of oral lichen planus: A pilot clinical study

Abstract

Introduction: Lichen planus is an autoimmune disease with unknown etiology. Vitamin D not only affects the health of the bone but also has an impact on immunity. To understand the possible role of vitamin D in the pathophysiology of oral lichen planus (OLP), a clinical study was conducted on patients suffering from OLP who reported to the dental outpatient department of our dental college in Aligarh. Aims: To evaluate the possible co-relation between the OLP with vitamin D deficiency and the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the treatment of the OLP lesion. Settings and Design: A pilot clinical study was conducted in a dental college in Aligarh. Materials and Methods: Patients with clinical presentation of OLP were included in our study. Patients with drug-induced oral lesion or lesion associated with dental restoration (lichenoid reactions) were excluded from the study. Patients were divided into three different groups depending on factors such as stress, low vitamin D levels, or a combination of the above factors. Patients with severe vitamin D deficiency were supplemented with vitamin D. Statistical Analysis Used: Fisher's exact test. Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in both subjective and objective symptoms in patients who were supplemented with vitamin D with or without psychological counseling apart from topical steroid application for a short period. Conclusion: Marked improvement and long-term remission in the symptoms in vitamin D-deficient patients after restoration of normal vitamin D level suggests its role in pathogenesis of OLP like other autoimmune diseases. Therefore, further study and research work need to be carried out to understand the pathway through which vitamin D is related to the pathogenesis of OLP.