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Background Lichen planus ( LP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology affecting the skin and oral mucosa. Oral lichenoid lesions ( OLLs), like oral contact reactions, may resemble oral lichen planus ( OLP) both clinically and histopathologically. As OLP and OLL are hyperkeratotic diseases and filaggrin is essential to keratinization, the distribution of filaggrin may be altered in these lesions. Objectives To investigate whether patients with OLP/ OLL have (i) altered distribution of filaggrin in the oral mucosa; (ii) a higher incidence of mutations in the filaggrin gene ( FLG); (iii) active dermatoses, apart from cutaneous LP, than healthy controls; and (iv) patients with OLP/ OLL and a defect in the FLG have more widespread oral lesions and report more symptoms than OLP/ OLL patients without a concomitant defect in the FLG. Methods Forty-nine Caucasian patients (42 women and 7 men, mean age 61.0 ± 10.3 years), with symptomatic OLP, OLL or stomatitis, and 29 matched healthy controls underwent a clinical oral and dermatological examination, oral mucosal biopsy and filaggrin genotyping (testing for R2447X, R501X, 2282del4). Smear tests for Candida spp. were performed in all patients to exclude oral candidiasis. Immunohistochemistry were performed using poly- and monoclonal filaggrin antibodies. Results The immunoreactivity for filaggrin was significantly more intense in the oral mucosa in the patients with OLP/ OLL compared with healthy controls ( P = 0.000025). No difference was noted in the incidence of defects in the FLG and active dermatoses between patients and healthy controls. No difference was noted in extension and number of symptoms reported by patients with OLP/ OLL with or without a concomitant defect in the FLG. Conclusion OLP/ OLL is associated with an altered distribution of filaggrin in the oral mucosa independently of defects in the FLG. Patients with OLP/ OLL did not display more active dermatoses other than cutaneous LP when compared to healthy controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the microbiota of stimulated whole saliva samples from patients with severe hyposalivation to samples from individuals with normal whole saliva flow rates. It was hypothesized that the two groups differ with regard to salivary bacterial profiles. Methods This cross-sectional study included 36 participants (24 females and 12 males, mean age 58.5 years) with severe hyposalivation and 36 gender-, age-, and geographically matched participants with normal salivary secretion from the Danish Health Examination Survey ( DANHES). The microbiota of stimulated whole saliva samples was characterized by HOMI NGS. Results The two groups had comparable caries experience measured by decayed, missed, filled surfaces/teeth and decayed, missed, filled root surfaces as well as active caries lesions. In addition, no single probe target was present with a significant difference in frequency or proportional presence between groups. Furthermore, data reduction by principal component analysis and correspondence analysis showed comparable bacterial community profiles between groups. Conclusions The results indicate that the salivary bacterial profiles of patients with severe hyposalivation do not differ from those of individuals with normal salivary secretion, when there are virtually no untreated active caries lesions present in the oral cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]