Etiopathogenesis of Oral Lichen Planus: Highlighting the Role of T Cells, Mast Cells, RANTES, and Matrix Metalloproteinases

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory disease that affects the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. It is mediated by T cells, causing the basal cells of the oral epithelium to undergo apoptosis through the action of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. A number of inflammatory mechanisms have been proposed to explain the subepithelial accumulation of CD8+ T cells as well as the death of keratinocytes that follows. This paper reviews the numerous theories on the etiopathogenesis of OLP and highlights the role of T cells, mast cells, RANTES, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Keywords: oral lichen planus, etiology, pathogenesis, histology.