No evidence of hepatitis C virus infection in Serbian patients with oral leukoplakia

Background: A review of the literature reveals controversy regarding the relationship between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and oral leukoplakia (OL). The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of HCV antibodies in patients with OL and control subjects resident in Serbia. Methods: In this cross‐sectional study 73 consecutive patients with histologically proven OL and 90 control subjects, whose age and gender were matched, were examined for the presence of serological evidence of chronic hepatic disease, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti‐HCV seropositivity. Results: None of the patients with OL or control subjects had antibodies to HCV or HBsAg. All patients with OL and control subjects had normal liver function. Conclusion: The present data indicate that patients with OL resident in Serbia do not have evidence of HCV or HBV infection.