Salivary Osteopontin Was Associated with Lesion Size in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus

Introduction: Osteopontin (OPN) is recognized as a potent biomarker of Oral lichen planus (OLP) because of its vital role in inflammation and the repair process. The present study aims to assess OPN in OLP in comparison with healthy controls (HC). Materials and Methods: To explore salivary levels of OPN, a group of 20 subjects with OLP was compared with 20 healthy controls. Salivary OPN levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay. Results: Results indicated elevated OPN levels in lesion size<1cm compared with 1-3cm lesion size of OLP (p=0.02). In contrast, we did not find a significant difference in OPN expression level in saliva from OLP patients and healthy controls (P=0.96). Conclusion: Osteopontin plays a role in the process of repair and healing in oral lichen planus, providing tissue protection and enhancing the capacity for tissue wound healing in these lesions.