Comparison of CEA and IgG serum levels in oral lichenoid lesions before and after treatment with topical corticosteroids

Background. Lichen planus is considered a potentially malignant condition with an unknown etiology. This study aimed to determine the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and IgG serum levels in different oral lichenoid lesions before and after treatment with local corticosteroids.

Methods. Two groups of 23 individuals, including oral ulcerative lichenoid lesions patients and healthy ones, were evaluated. Toluidine blue staining and biopsy examinations were carried out while visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate symptoms. By applying corticosteroids, CEA and IgG serum levels were determined before and three weeks after intervention and at the end of the study (9 weeks) with ELISA and turbidimetry methods, respectively.

Results. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in CEA serum levels between the control and case groups (P=0.19). Moreover, the CEA serum levels indicated no significant difference before and after treatment in the case group (P=0.30). While IgG serum level was significantly higher before the intervention (P=0.01), it decreased significantly in the case group after treatment (P=0.02). In addition, pain intensity reduced significantly in the case group (P=0.05). According to statistics, 8.2% out of 21.7% of patients with positive staining results exhibited dysplasia signs.

Conclusion. However, neither CEA nor IgG serum levels were different in patients diagnosed with or without dysplasia and positive or negative staining results (P>0.05). IgG serum levels and pain severity effectively decreased in the oral ulcerative lichenoid lesions patients treated with local corticosteroids. Therefore, this treatment can be considered an effective and low-complication treatment modality for lichenoid lesions.