Comparative evaluation of serum interleukin-1β levels in patients with oral lichen planus and healthy subjects: a hospital-based case-control study

Oral lichen planus is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the oral mucosa and is considered an oral potentially malignant disorder. Interleukin − 1β (IL-1β), a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of OLP and may reflect inflammatory activity associated with the disease. To compare serum IL-1β levels between patients with OLP and healthy subjects and to evaluate its association with burning sensation and different clinical variants of OLP. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted among 74 participants, including 37 clinically diagnosed with OLP and 37 age-and sex-matched healthy controls, approximately 2.5mL of venous blood was collected from each participant and serum IL-1β levels were estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS statistics version 26.0. Independent t-test and one-way ANOVA were applied and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The mean serum IL-1β level was significantly higher in OLP patients (360.10 ± 407.24 pg/mL) than in healthy controls (55.50 ± 20.43 pg/mL) ( p < 0.001). No statistically significant association was observed between serum IL-1β levels and the presence of burning sensation ( p = 0.829) or among different clinical variants of OLP ( p = 0.909). Serum IL-1β levels were significantly elevated in patients with OLP compared with healthy subjects, supporting the role of IL-1β in the inflammatory pathogenesis of the disease. Although no significant association was observed with burning sensation or clinical variants, these findings should be interpreted cautiously given the limited sample size and small clinical subgroups, Serum IL-1β may reflect inflammatory involvement in OLP; however, the present case-control study does not establish its diagnostic or prognostic utility. Further studies with larger sample size, appropriated diagnostic accuracy assessments and histopathological confirmation are recommended to determine its clinical relevance.