Salivary levels of interleukin‑8 in oral lichen planus and diabetic patients: A biochemical study

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to assess the salivary levels of interleukin‑8 (IL‑8) in oral lichenplanus (OLP) and diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, and OLP + DM patients in comparison withhealthy individuals.Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross‑sectional study was conducted on 75 patients(30 with OLP, 5 with both OLP and DM, 20 with DM and 20 healthy controls). The salivary levelsof IL‑8 and fasting blood sugar and 2‑h postprandial blood glucose levels were measured in all thesubjects. Data were analyzed with one‑way ANOVA and post hoc least significant difference tests.Results: The mean salivary level of IL‑8 was the highest in OLP + DM patients, followed by DM,OLP and control groups, respectively. Pair‑wise comparisons of the groups revealed significantdifferences in the salivary levels of IL‑8 between OLP and control, DM and control, also OLP + DMpatients and control (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The increasing salivary level of IL‑8 in the control, OLP, DM, OLP + DM groups,respectively, indicates the role of this inflammatory cytokine in the pathogenesis of OLP and diabetes.Key Words: Diabetes mellitus, interleukin‑8, lichen planus, saliva