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. 2025 Aug 5;11(1):72.
doi: 10.1038/s41405-025-00358-0.

Salivary and serum leptin levels in oral lichen planus patients. A case-control study

Bahaa Mahmoud Fawzy El Nomrosy  1 , Weam Ahmed Maher Rashawn  2 , Olfat Gamil Shaker  3
Affiliations

Salivary and serum leptin levels in oral lichen planus patients. A case-control study

Bahaa Mahmoud Fawzy El Nomrosy et al. BDJ Open. .

Abstract

Background: Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory disease. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the oral mucosa. Different clinical types of oral lichen planus can be diagnosed based on clinical presentation and histopathological features.

Aim: The present study aimed to assess the potential of salivary and serum leptin in the diagnosis of OLP.

Materials & methods: The study was conducted on 78 cases (i.e., 39 cases per group) with OLP. The subjects were systematically free. Salivary and serum leptin concentrations from patients exhibiting a classic OLP and from healthy controls were assessed.

Results: Salivary and serum leptin levels are higher in the OLP group. The participants in the study are older than those in the control group; therefore, the age difference between the two groups does not affect the study's results.

Conclusion: Salivary and serum leptin levels in OLP patients were higher than in healthy control subjects, suggesting a possible role in the process of OLP pathogenesis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics: The Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University, certified the study and all accompanying documentation for research and ethical approval prior to the study’s commencement in compliance with local regulations. The investigators explained the purpose and methodology of the study to the participants. After reading the written informed consent, all participants gave their approval and signed it. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Clinical presentation of OLP lesions.
A a patient suffering from bullous erosive and reticular oral lichen planus (the right buccal mucosa); B The left buccal mucosa of the patient shows erosive and reticular OLP; C the patient’s left buccal mucosa shows reticular form or OLP; D Left buccal mucosa shows the erosive and reticular form of OLP; E Maculopapular rash on the right arm of the patient indicates she is also suffering from mucocutaneous OLP; F Left arm of the patient also showing maculopapular rash of mucocutaneous OLP.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Scatter plot showing the correlation between salivary and serum leptin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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