Anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody positivity in oral lichen planus patients with macrocytosis.

Background/purpose: Macrocytosis is defined as having the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) ≥ 100 fL. This study evaluated whether 36 oral lichen planus (OLP) patients with macrocytosis (macrocytosis/OLP patients) had significantly higher frequencies of anemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity than 588 healthy control subjects or 588 OLP patients. Materials and methods: Complete blood count, serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 36 macrocytosis/OLP patients, 588 OLP patients, and 588 healthy control subjects were measured and compared. Results: We found that 66.7 %, 8.3 %, 91.7 %, 0.0 %, 94.4 %, and 80.6 % of 36 macrocytosis/OLP patients were diagnosed as having blood hemoglobin and serum iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity, respectively. Moreover, 36 macrocytosis/OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of blood hemoglobin and serum vitamin B12 deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity than 588 healthy control subjects or 588 OLP patients (all P-values <0.001). In addition, 36 macrocytosis/OLP patients also had a significantly higher frequency of serum iron deficiency than 588 healthy control subjects (P < 0.001). Pernicious anemia was found in 17 macrocytosis/OLP patients. Conclusion: There are significantly higher frequencies of anemia and serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity in 36 macrocytosis/OLP patients than in 588 healthy control subjects. Moreover, 36 macrocytosis/OLP patients also have significantly higher frequencies of anemia, serum vitamin B12 deficiency, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum GPCA positivity than 588 OLP patients.