COVID-19 and Oral Lichen Planus: Between an "Intriguing Plot" and the "Fata Morgana Effect"

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic in patients with a diagnosis of Oral Lichen Planus: Pain perception and psychological profile analysis

OBJECTIVES

To assess the impact of COVID-19 in patients affected by OLP, in terms of level of pain, stress, depression and anxiety and their impact on the clinical manifestation of the disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A longitudinal design was employed. Psychometric evaluations of anxiety, stress, and depression were conducted using the DASS21 scale, while pain levels were measured using the VAS scale. Clinical diagnosis and phenotype evaluation were performed.

RESULTS

The study included 24 patients with an average age of 62.9 years, with 70.8% presenting erosive OLP. Results revealed a significant worsening of anxiety, stress, and depression scores during the pandemic. Pain level (1.5 ± 1.2 pre-pandemic VS 3.8 ± 1.1 during the pandemic, p < 0.0001) was also negatively affected.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the potential interplay between psychological stress and oral health conditions, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of OLP's complex etiology and its response to external stressors.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Multidisciplinary care strategies to address both physical and psychological aspects of OLP patients is recommended following the present findings. Further research is warranted to confirm these observations in larger multicenter studies and to guide tailored guidance approaches for OLP patients during challenging times.

Non-Coding RNAs as Potential Targets for Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus: A Narrative Review

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by the infiltration of T cells into the oral mucosa, causing the apoptosis of basal keratinocytes. OLP is a multifactorial disease of unknown etiology and is not solely caused by the malfunction of a single key gene but rather by various intracellular and extracellular factors. Non-coding RNAs play a critical role in immunological homeostasis and inflammatory response and are found in all cell types and bodily fluids, and their expression is closely regulated to preserve normal physiologies. The dysregulation of non-coding RNAs may be highly implicated in the onset and progression of diverse inflammatory disorders, including OLP. This narrative review summarizes the role of non-coding RNAs in molecular and cellular changes in the oral epithelium during OLP pathogenesis.