Autoimmune Comorbid Diseases Associated with Lichen Planus: A Nationwide Case-Control Study

The study investigated the association between lichen planus (LP) and autoimmune diseases using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, covering 12,427 LP patients and 49,708 controls from 1997 to 2011. Significant associations were found between LP and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome, dermatomyositis, vitiligo, and alopecia areata. SLE and alopecia areata were significantly associated with LP in both genders, while Sjögren's syndrome was significant only in females. The associations with dermatomyositis and vitiligo were not significant in gender-stratified analyses. The study concluded that LP is associated with various autoimmune diseases, suggesting a need for further research to understand the underlying mechanisms.