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Background:  The serum circulatory levels of apoptosis related molecules measured in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and healthy individuals in order to investigate possible alterations associated with the clinical forms of OLP.

Methods:  Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, soluble Fas (sFas) and Bcl‐2 studied by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in whole blood samples in 13 OLP reticular, 13 OLP atrophic‐erosive form patients and 26 healthy subjects.

Results:  Significantly elevated levels of TNF‐α and sFas detected in OLP patients as compared with controls. Serum concentrations of Bcl‐2 although increased in 17/26 patients, they were not statistically significant. Reticular OLP exhibited slightly elevated TNF‐α and significantly elevated Bcl‐2 serum levels, compared with erosive OLP.

Conclusions:  These data suggest that a putative dysfunction in the Fas/FasL mediated apoptosis …