Summary
To determine the role of vitamin D (VD) in the development and treatment of oral lichen planus (OLP). An exploratory systematic review was carried out during April of 2021 using the databases Pubmed / Medline, Ebsco and Scopus / Elsevier. The terms “Oral lichen planus” and “Vitamin D” were used. Only human studies were included and those publications older than 5 years old were excluded. 40 articles were obtained, of which 15 were discarded because they were duplicated. When selecting according to title and abstract, publications met the criteria to be included in this review. Various investigations have quantified VD levels in patients with OLP: obtaining significantly lower measurements than in healthy patients. In addition, a possible correlation between the severity of the condition and the magnitude of the deficit is described. Finally, supplementation with VD as an adjuvant arises as an alternative for the reduction of symptoms, given the role of VD in immune processes and reports of improvements in OLP symptoms with its use. Patients diagnosed with OLP have insufficient levels of serum VD compared to healthy patients. Micronutrient deficiency is related to an exaggerated inflammatory response and alterations in the immune system. VD supplementation in patients with OLP would be beneficial as an adjunct to corticosteroid treatment in severe cases. However, the limited evidence makes it necessary to carry out more clinical studies to reaffirm the effectiveness of VD as a complementary treatment for OLP.
KEY WORDS: Vitamin D, oral lichen planus, lichen planus.
How to cite this article
STORGA, Mj.; FUENTES, G.; QUITRAL, R. & CORDERO, K. Relationship between Vitamin D and oral lichen planus. Exploratory systematic review. Int. J. Odontostomat., 16(2):267-272, 2022.
