Background: New-onset lichen planus (LP) development following COVID-19 infection/vaccination is reported. Since case series cannot be used to study exposure–outcome associations, we designed this matched case–control study to investigate whether COVID-19-related events and de novo LP are associated. Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed LP, newly diagnosed at the National Research Center of Dermato-Venereology of Moscow (September 2020–December 2022), were considered. Sex/age/ethnicity-matched controls attending the same Center in the same period for consultations on conditions unrelated to LP were selected. Cases/controls with known LP trigger factors were excluded. COVID-19-related events were: symptomatic COVID-19 (PCR-confirmed), and COVID-19 vaccination (viral vector vaccine) occurred ≤ 1 month before the visit at the Center. The association between COVID-19-related events and LP was assessed with conditional (Mantel–Haenszel method) and unconditional (logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, and smoking) analyses. Subgroup analysis, with COVID-19 infection and vaccination treated separately, and sensitivity analysis on another group of patients with suspected LP, not confirmed histologically, were also made. Results: Fifty-five case–control pairs were considered. Mean age (51 years), sex (56.4% females) and ethnicity (100% whites) distributions were the same in both groups. Conditional and unconditional odds ratios resulted 7.50 (95% Confidence Interval –95CI, 1.72–32.80), 4.45 (95CI, 1.63–12.15), respectively (p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis confirmed the association between symptomatic infection and LP, while sensitivity analysis corroborated the results of the primary analysis. Conclusions: This observational study, reporting a strong significant association between COVID-19 infection/vaccination and de-novo LP, suggests that COVID-19-related events, especially infection, could act as LP trigger factors.
Lichen Planus Following COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination. Matched Case–Control Study
Arduino P. G.First
;
2025-01-01
Abstract
Background: New-onset lichen planus (LP) development following COVID-19 infection/vaccination is reported. Since case series cannot be used to study exposure–outcome associations, we designed this matched case–control study to investigate whether COVID-19-related events and de novo LP are associated. Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed LP, newly diagnosed at the National Research Center of Dermato-Venereology of Moscow (September 2020–December 2022), were considered. Sex/age/ethnicity-matched controls attending the same Center in the same period for consultations on conditions unrelated to LP were selected. Cases/controls with known LP trigger factors were excluded. COVID-19-related events were: symptomatic COVID-19 (PCR-confirmed), and COVID-19 vaccination (viral vector vaccine) occurred ≤ 1 month before the visit at the Center. The association between COVID-19-related events and LP was assessed with conditional (Mantel–Haenszel method) and unconditional (logistic regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, and smoking) analyses. Subgroup analysis, with COVID-19 infection and vaccination treated separately, and sensitivity analysis on another group of patients with suspected LP, not confirmed histologically, were also made. Results: Fifty-five case–control pairs were considered. Mean age (51 years), sex (56.4% females) and ethnicity (100% whites) distributions were the same in both groups. Conditional and unconditional odds ratios resulted 7.50 (95% Confidence Interval –95CI, 1.72–32.80), 4.45 (95CI, 1.63–12.15), respectively (p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis confirmed the association between symptomatic infection and LP, while sensitivity analysis corroborated the results of the primary analysis. Conclusions: This observational study, reporting a strong significant association between COVID-19 infection/vaccination and de-novo LP, suggests that COVID-19-related events, especially infection, could act as LP trigger factors.
| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Aust J Dermatology - 2025 - Arduino - Lichen Planus Following COVID‐19 Infection and Vaccination Matched Case Control.pdf
Accesso aperto
Descrizione: Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 2025; 66:289–295
Tipo di file:
PDF EDITORIALE
Dimensione
203.12 kB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
203.12 kB | Adobe PDF | Visualizza/Apri |
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
