Clinical And Morphological Diagnostic Criteria Of Oral Lichen Planus

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic immune-mediated disease of the oral mucosa with diverse clinical manifestations and variable severity. This study aimed to assess the correlation between clinical forms of OLP and the expression of immunohistochemical markers Ki-67, p53, CD4, CD8, and CD1a. Twenty-five patients with clinically and histologically confirmed OLP were examined. Clinical findings were correlated with histological and immunohistochemical parameters. Severe clinical forms, particularly the erosive-ulcerative variant, demonstrated significantly increased expression of Ki-67 and p53, indicating enhanced epithelial proliferation and cellular stress. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a predominance of CD8-positive cytotoxic T lymphocytes and increased CD1a-positive antigen-presenting cells in clinically aggressive forms of OLP. The results demonstrate a significant association between clinical severity of OLP and immunohistochemical marker expression, supporting the value of combined clinical and immunohistochemical assessment for improved diagnosis and evaluation of disease activity.