DEFB1 polymorphisms and salivary hBD-1 concentration in Oral Lichen Planus patients and healthy subjects

Objectives The aetiology of Oral Lichen Planus (OLP), a chronic inflammatory disease of oral mucosa, is not yet well understood. Since innate immunity may be hypothesized as involved in the susceptibility to OLP, we studied human beta defensin 1 (hBD-1) an antimicrobial peptide constitutively expressed in the saliva, looking at functional genetic variants possibly able to diminish hBD-1 production an consequently conferring major susceptibility to OLP. Design We analysed three DEFB1 polymorphisms at 5′ UTR, −52G > A (rs1799946), −44C > G (rs1800972), −20G > A (rs11362) and two DEFB1 polymorphisms at 3′UTR, c*5G > A (rs1047031), c*87A > G (rs1800971), with the aim of correlating these genetic variants and hBD-1 salivary level in a group of OLP patients and in healthy subjects. We also evaluated hBD-1 salivary concentrations, using ELISA, in OLP and healthy controls. Results We compared hBD-1 concentrations in OLP and healthy subjects: hBD-1 concentration was significantly higher in OLP ...