Salivary Antioxidant Status in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus: Correlation with Clinical Signs and Evolution during Treatment with Chamaemelum nobile

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous disease, which manifests as a succession of outbreaks. OLP was associated with salivary oxidative stress. Randomized, double blind, parallel-group study was performed. The sample consisted of 55 clinically and histopathologically diagnosed OLP patients. Twenty-six patients were treated with 2% Chamaemelum nobile gel and 29 with a placebo. Nonstimulated (basal) saliva was collected on the first day of the study and 4 weeks later. Salivary total antioxidant status (TAS) was evaluated by four different methods: two TAC (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid) equivalent antioxidant capacity methods (TAC1 and TAC2), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). At baseline (T1), no statistically significant differences were detected in any of the TAS analytes between the two groups of patients. After four weeks of treatment, a statistically significant increase was detected in FRAP in the placebo group (0.323 [0.090–0.467] versus 0.406 [0.197–0.848] mmol/g⁎10(−3)) (P < 0.05). Significant correlations were observed between pain and drainage and TAC1, CUPRAC, and FRAP and between xerostomia and the TAC1, TAC2, CUPRAC, and FRAP. The results of the present study showed that in patients with OLP increases of TAS in saliva are associated with increase in pain and xerostomia and decrease in drainage, suggesting a worsening condition of the patient. The use of Chamaemelum nobile gel would be recommended for disease stabilization.