Evaluation of serum and salivary interferon-gamma levels in oral lichen planus patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies

Publication date: Available online 24 November 2018

Source: Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology

Author(s): Hamid Reza Mozaffari, Roohollah Sharifi, Mina Hayati, Mohammad Moslem Imani, Pia Lopez Jornet, Amin Golshah, Hedaiat Moradpoor, Razieh Rezaei, Masoud Sadeghi

Objective

Cytokines have regulatory and leading roles in immunopathogenesis of OLP. Herein, the present meta-analysis evaluates the serum and salivary interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels in the OLP patients compared with the controls as well as the correlation of this cytokine with the progression of OLP.

Study design

Four databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched from their start date to November 2017. The studies on the effect of oral lichen planus on salivary and serum IFN-γ were searched without language restriction.

Results

Eleven studies were included and analyzed in this meta-analysis. The pooled mean difference (MD) values were estimated to be 3.60 pg/ml (P=0.23) and -0.02 pg/ml (P=1.00) for serum and salivary levels of IFN-γ in the OLP patients compared to the controls, respectively. The pooled MD values were -2.52 pg/ml (P=0.03) and -2.01 pg/ml (P=0.20) for serum and salivary IFN-γ levels in the erosive type compared with the nonerosive type, respectively.

Conclusion

According to the result of meta-analysis, there was no statistically significant difference of IFN-γ between the OLP patients and the control group both in serum and salivary levels and also between erosive and nonerosive types of OLP in the salivary level; so this cytokine is not considered to have an important role in the pathogenesis or severity of OLP.

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