Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies and evaluation of hepatitis C virus genotypes in patients with lichen planus

Background: Several cases of lichen planus (LP) associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been described. The reported prevalence rates of anti-HCV in patients with LP show wide geographical variations. An association of HCV-associated disorders with certain HCV geno/subtypes has not been investigated so far. Objective: The aim of the present study was to define the prevalence rate of anti-HCV in German patients with LP and to determine the distribution of HCV geno/subtypes. Methods: All patients with LP of the present study (n=84) were tested for anti-HCV antibodies by an enzyme-immunoassay (second generation), HCV RNA was detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and HCV geno/subtyping was performed by the reverse hybridization assay. Serum samples of 87 patients with various cutaneous diseases excluding LP served as control group. Results: Anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 13/84 patients with LP (16%), and 12/13 anti-HCV-positive patients were viraemic as assessed by the presence of HCV RNA. Most patients were infected with subtype HCV-lb (10/12 patients), while the 2 remaining patients were infected with HCV-2b and HCV-3a, respectively. In the control group, anti-HCV antibodies were only observed in 1/87 patients (1.1%), infected with subtype HCV-lb. Conclusion: The statistically significant (p<0.002) high prevalence of HCV RNA in patients with LP is suggestive of an aetiological role of HCV in the pathogenesis of LP. Compared to the geno/subtype distribution of patients with chronic hepatitis C without LP of the same geographical area, no convincing correlation between geno/subtype and the presence of LP was obtained.