Vitamin D Serum Levels in Oral Lichen Planus and Oral Cancer Patients

Background: This study aimed to evaluate serum vitamin D levels in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in comparison to healthy controls in an Iranian population. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, which included 69 patients with OLP, 40 patients with OSCC, and 60 healthy controls. Serum vitamin D levels were measured using the ELISA method. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney and T-tests, and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The study found that 17.9% of OLP patients, 27.25% of OSCC patients, and 25% of the control group had normal vitamin D levels. The mean vitamin D level in OLP patients (17.00 ± 14.16 ng/mL) was significantly lower than that in the control group (22.99 ± 14.46 ng/mL) (P = 0.003). However, in OSCC patients, the mean vitamin D level (24.63 ± 16.19 ng/mL) was not significantly different from that of the control group. Conclusion: The study revealed a high rate of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in OLP, OSCC, and control group patients. Vitamin D deficiency was more common in patients with OLP. Vitamin D deficiency may potentially increase the risk of OLP and OSCC development and progression.