HLA-DR and DQ antigens in Chinese patients with oral lichen planus.

A study of HLA-DR and DQ typing in 44 patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) (28 women and 16 men) and in 107 normal controls of both sexes was performed by using Terasaki's oriental tray. Twenty-eight patients had erosive forms of lichen planus (OLPe). Serologic typing revealed a highly significant increase of HLA-DR 9 and Te 22 antigens in the patient group. Considering our findings and those in other autoimmune diseases, it is hypothesized that OLP is a localized autoimmune disease and the HLA-DR9 in Chinese takes the place of HLA-DR3 in Caucasians in carrying the genes which predispose to the development of autoimmune disease.