Introduction: Human papilloma virus (HPV) has been suggested to contribute to the initiation and progression of Oral Leukoplakia (OL) and Oral Lichen Planus (OLP). We have investigated the potential risk factors that could lead to infection of HPV in OLP and OL patients.
Methods and materials: Between 2003 and 2007, 106 patients (81 females and 25 males), with OLP and OL lesions, referred to the Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, were involved in the study. The patients were given a full medical and dental examination, including; medical and dental history, current medical conditions, physical examinations and laboratory tests. Clinical characterization of OLP and OL were established and biopsies taken, following which oral cytological specimens for HPV DNA were taken and identification and typing were established.
Results: Of the 106 patients who were examined in this group, 77 presented OLP and 29 presented with OL. Also out of these 106 patients, 43 (40%) were shown to have the presence of a HPV infection, 30 (69% of HPV patients) of which were present in OLP patients and 13 (30% of HPV patients) present in OL patients. It showed that there were 41 of the patients who had the HPV DNA present in the OLP or OL lesions, 28 of which were found in the non-erosive OLP/homogenous OL lesions and 13 found in the erosive OLP/non-homogenous OL lesions. There was no significant relationship between the frequency of HPV infection and type and the subtype of lesions. HPV infections correlated (if p≤0.05) with vitamin B deficiency (0.034), and with seropositivity for hepatitis B or C virus infection (0.006).
Conclusion: Vitamin B deficiency results a thinner epithelium leading to an easier HPV infection. While patients infected with hepatitis viruses are in a higher risk of being infected with HPV probably because of the same route of infection.