Estimation of serum cortisol levels in oral lichen planus patients with electrochemiluminescence

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to compare the serum cortisol level in oral lichen planus (OLP) patients with normal healthy individuals and to compare the serum cortisol level in patients with erosive and nonerosive forms of OLP. Materials and Methods: A case-control study involving 60 patients within the age group of 20-50 years was carried out. Group A included 15 subjects with nonerosive lichen planus, without skin involvement; Group B included 15 subjects with erosive lichen planus, without skin; and Group C included 30 subjects with no apparent lesions of the oral mucosa and the skin. From the cases and controls, 7mL venous blood was taken from median cubital vein two times (between 8 and 10 am,and 4 and 6 pm) by using a 10mL syringe from which 5mL was taken for estimation of serum cortisol. Results: The serum cortisol levels of the erosive OLP patients were significantly higher than those of nonerosive OLP patients and controls. There was no significant difference in the serum cortisol levels between nonerosive OLP in comparison with controls.