Interleukin-10 in Oral Lichen Planus - Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a powerful anti-inflammatory cytokine capable of preventing inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an autoimmune, chronic, inflammatory disease with relapsing nature involving oral mucous membranes. It was prevsiouly assumed that like other autoimmune diseases, IL-10 may have a role in OLP pathogenesis, and many studies focused on that. But there are obvious controversies among IL-10 levels in OLP patients. Objective: In this review with Meta-Analysis, we attempt to assess IL-10 expression in OLP patients. Methods: The search was conducted via Pubmed, Ovid, and Google Scholar, to identify articles published up to Jun 2020. A meta-Analysis by Revman 5.3 was conducted based on serum levels of IL-10 in 313 OLPs and 203 controls. Results: With Meta-Analysis in 313 OLPs and 203 controls, the Mean difference between IL-10 in OLPs and controls was obtained as 0.26 (95% CI: -0.51-1.03), demonstrating no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: IL-10, in concert with its receptors, has a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including inflammatory, infectious, and autoimmune diseases. Both over-expression, as well as IL-10 deficiency, have been described in oral lichen planus. With Meta-Analysis on serum IL-10 levels, it is speculated that no significant relationship exists between IL-10 and OLP pathogenesis. With respect to the importance of cytokines in the autoimmunity process, performing additional studies is of necessity to understand the association of other cytokines with OLP predisposition and its underlying pathological processes.