Interferon-γ and interleukin-4 detected in serum and saliva from patients with oral lichen planus

Abstract

A study in China that dissected the underlying immune processes of an oral inflammatory disease could lead to effective diagnostic strategies. The pathology of many diseases is affected by the activity of two distinct populations of helper T cells, T_H1 and T_H2, which coordinate distinct immune pathways. Hongxia Dan and colleagues at Sichuan University examined the physiological signatures of immune activity in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) in an effort to resolve a debate regarding the relative contribution of T_H1 and T_H2 processes in this mucosal disorder. By comparing saliva and serum from patients versus controls, the researchers determined that T_H2 plays a dominant role in OLP and identified a biochemical signature that might offer a useful prognostic biomarker. Their experiments also show that salivary analysis may offer a simple mechanism for OLP diagnosis.

Keywords

oral lichen planus / saliva / serum / T helper cytokines

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