The presence of thyroid autoantibodies is not associated with anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in oral lichen planus patients

Authors

• Yi-Pang Lee, Department of Dentistry, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
• Yu-Hsueh Wu, Department of Stomatology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
• Julia Yu-Fong Chang, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Yi-Ping Wang, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Andy Sun, Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
• Chun-Pin Chiang, Department of Dentistry, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, TaiwanFollow

First Page

1551

Last Page

1559

Abstract

Background/purpose: Our previous study found that 144 of 588 oral lichen planus (OLP) patients have thyroglobulin antibody (TGA) and/or thyroid microsomal antibodies (TMA) but do not have gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA, designated as thyroid autoantibodies-positive OLP or TA⁺OLP patients). To test the role of thyroid autoantibodies in causing microcytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in OLP patients, this study assessed whether 144 TA⁺OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 healthy control subjects (HCSs) or 305 TGA/TMA/GPCA-negative (Abs^–) OLP patients (designated as Abs^–OLP patients).

Materials and methods: The mean corpuscular volume, blood hemoglobin (Hb), and serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine levels were measured and compared between any two of three groups of 144 TA⁺OLP patients, 305 Abs^–OLP patients, and 588 HCSs.

Results: We found that both 144 TA⁺OLP patients and 305 Abs^–OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 HCSs (all P-values < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia between 144 TA⁺OLP patients and 305 Abs^–OLP patients (all P-values > 0.05).

Conclusion: The disease of OLP itself rather than the thyroid autoantibodies plays a pivotal role in causing the significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in TA⁺OLP patients.

Recommended Citation

Lee, Yi-Pang; Wu, Yu-Hsueh; Chang, Julia Yu-Fong; Wang, Yi-Ping; Sun, Andy; and Chiang, Chun-Pin (2026) "The presence of thyroid autoantibodies is not associated with anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in oral lichen planus patients," Journal of Dental Sciences: Vol. 21: Iss. 3, Article 23.
Available at: https://jds.ads.org.tw/journal/vol21/iss3/23

Publication Date

2026