PECAM-1 overexpression signifies aggressive biologic behavior of oral lichen planus - A pilot study.

<bold>Context: </bold>The etiopathogenesis of oral lichen planus (OLP) is still debatable. According to literature, many studies have illustrated OLP as a T-cell-mediated chronic autoimmune disease. Currently, there is increased evidence of chronic inflammation in OLP and its association with vascular adhesion molecules (VAMs).<bold>Aim: </bold>The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of VAM (PECAM-1) in OLP.<bold>Setting and Design: </bold>Tissue samples involved 20 archival cases of histopathologically confirmed OLP (n = 15) and normal mucosa (n = 5) as controls.<bold>Materials and Methods: </bold>The sections were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis using antibody to PECAM-1. Brown staining of the endothelial cells of blood vessels was considered positive. The expression of PECAM-1 in OLP was statistically analyzed using Wilcoxon sign-rank test.<bold>Results: </bold>The expression of PECAM-1 in OLP was statistically significant when compared with normal mucosa (P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference was also observed in PECAM-1 expression between the reticular type and erosive type of OLP.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>PECAM-1 was found to be overexpressed in OLP; difference in PECAM-1 expression was noted between the reticular and erosive types. The VAMs could be exploited as a possible therapeutic target in OLP to modulate the disease process thereby reducing the dependency on corticosteroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]