Lack of association between Estrogen and progesterone receptors and Oral Lichen Planus

Lichen planus is a T-cell mediated autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disease that affects the skin and the mucous membrane. The results of numerous studies on oral mucosa have confirmed the effects of sex hormones on oral mucosa and the expression of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and androgen receptors. Lichen planus is a common disease in middle-aged women. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the expression of ER and PR in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP).

The participants consisted of sixty-six women. The biopsy specimens of these patients were stained via immunohistochemical staining for the detection of estrogen and progesterone markers.

Despite low levels of sex hormones following menopause, ER and PR levels were lower in menopausal patients with lichen planus compared to the control group. The results also showed no significant difference in the percentage and severity of ER and PR expression in healthy non-menopausal women, menopausal women with OLP, non-menopausal women with OLP, and healthy menopausal women.

Low ER and PR levels in oral mucosa of the OLP patients suggest a more pronounced role of receptors on the surface of immune cells than mucosal cells in the pathogenesis of OLP. Maladaptive feedback of sex hormones was involved in the case group.