Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory lesion of oral mucosal, and its pathogenesis involves immune cell-mediated aberrances. However, the findings conflict with each other. This research aimed to comprehensively detect the salivary cytokine profile of patients with OLP. The cohort included 60 OLP patients (30 reticular and 30 erosive), and 30 healthy controls, matched in age and sex. Human Cytokine/Chemokine Magnetic Bead Panel Kit (HCYTMAG-60K-PX41) was used to detect salivary inflammation-related cytokines. Rank sum test, group t-test, and ANOVA were used for data analysis in different groups. Moreover, Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between salivary cytokine levels and OLP lesion severity. The levels of TNF-α, G-GSF, IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-8 were statistically significant higher in both erosive and reticular OLP patients than in the healthy group, while the IL-13 level was significantly lower. Particularly, the salivary TNF-α, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 levels were higher in erosive OLP group than other groups. Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed that the salivary TNF-α, GM-CSF, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, IL-1β and IL-6 levels were positively correlated with OLP lesion severity. Imbalance of the Th1/Th2-mediated immune response contributes to OLP. Certain salivary cytokines, such as MIP-1α, MIP-1β, GM-CSF, and IL-6, are positively correlated with OLP severity, and they have a high potential as biomarkers to diagnose and predict OLP prognosis.

Background: A possible relationship between oral lichen planus (OLP) and thyroid disease has received attention in recent years. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between OLP and thyroid diseases in Chinese ethnic patients. Methods: 192 OLP patients, 123 patients with oral lichenoid lesions (OLLs), and 162 controls were recruited in this case–control study. All participants received screening for thyroid function and underwent ultrasound. Sex and age of the patients in the three groups were matched. The prevalence of thyroid diseases in the subjects was analyzed. Using logistic regression, the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals was appraised for associations between OLP, OLL, and different types of thyroid diseases [Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), hypothyroidism, and thyroid nodule]. Results: The prevalence of thyroid diseases in the OLP group (72.4%) and OLL group (68.3%) was higher than the control group (49.4%) with statistical significance. The OR of HT was 3.16 (1.87–5.33) for OLP, 2.09 (1.18–3.70) for OLL, while the OR of thyroid nodule was 2.31 (1.30–4.09) for OLP. Conclusion: Our study suggested a close relationship between OLP/OLL and HT and thyroid nodule in a Chinese population. The possible mechanism behind this association warrants further investigation.

Background: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a potentially fatal autoimmune bullous disease. The role of microRNA (miRNA, miR) in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of PV remains unknown. This study aims to provide potential miRNA biomarkers for PV diagnosis and therapy options. Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 22 PV patients, 15 mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) patients, and 10 normal controls (NC). Total RNA was extracted from the serum samples, and 12 selected miRNAs were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Bioinformatic analyses including target gene prediction and enrichment analysis were performed. Results: Twelve miRNAs were increased in the serum of the PV group compared with the NC group, in which six miRNAs had good efficacy to diagnose PV from MMP with the area under the receiver operator characteristic curves of 0.970 to 0.988. A series test for the combination of miR-584-5p and miR-155-5p reached the sensitivity and specificity of 95.5% and 100%. Bioinformatic analysis revealed target gene enrichment in the cell adhesion pathways, immune-relating pathways, and P38 mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway. Conclusion: The study provides new insights and targets of miRNAs for the precise diagnosis and the exploration of pathogenesis for PV, which may serve as a reference for further research into autoimmune bullous diseases.

The present study aimed to comprehensively characterize the oral microbiome and metabolic profiles in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) concomitant with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to explore the potential mechanisms driving the co‐occurrence. This was a cross‐sectional observational study. A total of 60 participants were enrolled, including 20 normal controls, 20 patients with OLP alone (OLP group), and 20 patients with both OLP and T2DM (OLP_DM group). Salivary samples were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics to assess microbiological and metabolic differences across the groups. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to evaluate associations between clinical characteristics and microbial or metabolic features. Alpha diversity (Chao1 index) was significantly reduced in both disease groups compared to the controls, while beta diversity analysis revealed no remarkable separation among groups. At the genus level, the abundance of Pseudomonas was elevated in the OLP_DM group relative to both the OLP and control groups, and positively correlated with lesion severity. Metabolomic analysis revealed significantly lower levels of limonin and higher levels of thymine and epinephrine in the OLP_DM group compared to the OLP. Limonin was negatively correlated with lesion severity, whereas thymine and epinephrine showed positive correlations with both lesion severity and pain scores. The study provides comprehensive evidence of oral microbial dysbiosis and metabolic disturbances in patients with OLP concomitant with T2DM. The findings suggest an interplay between specific bacterial populations and metabolic alterations in the progression and severity of OLP concomitant with diabetes.