Hepatitis C Virus and Lichen Planus A Reciprocal Association Determined by a Meta-analysis

Data Synthesis: Sixty-three articles entailing 7 studies were included in the meta-analysis. For the primary outcome of prevalence of events, the meta-analysis showed that there existed an important association between HCV and LP. In the comparison of the prevalence of HCV exposure among patients with LP with that of control participants, the odds ratio (OR) was 5.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.5-8.3); in the prevalence of LP among patients with HCV compared with the prevalence among control participants, the OR was 2.5 (95% CI, 2.0-3.1). The subgroup analyses with geographical stratification did not show a significant association in studies from South Asia (P=.21), Africa (P=.15), and North America (P=.09), and the subgroup analyses from stratification by LP type also did not show a significant association in the isolated cutaneous type (P=.17). When strict criteria were applied, the results of sensitivity analysis remained robust.