The presence of thyroid autoantibodies is not associated with anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in oral lichen planus patients.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Our previous study found that 144 of 588 oral lichen planus (OLP) patients have thyroglobulin antibody (TGA) and/or thyroid microsomal antibodies (TMA) but do not have gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA, designated as thyroid autoantibodies-positive OLP or TA+OLP patients). To test the role of thyroid autoantibodies in causing microcytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in OLP patients, this study assessed whether 144 TA+OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 healthy control subjects (HCSs) or 305 TGA/TMA/GPCA-negative (Abs-) OLP patients (designated as Abs-OLP patients). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mean corpuscular volume, blood hemoglobin (Hb), and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine levels were measured and compared between any two of three groups of 144 TA+OLP patients, 305 Abs-OLP patients, and 588 HCSs. RESULTS: We found that both 144 TA + OLP patients and 305 Abs-OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 HCSs (all P-values <0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia between 144 TA+OLP patients and 305 Abs-OLP patients (all P-values >0.05). CONCLUSION: The disease of OLP itself rather than the thyroid autoantibodies plays a pivotal role in causing the significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in TA+OLP patients.