Prevalence and risk of chronic kidney disease in oral lichen planus: a large cross-sectional study from eastern China

BACKGROUND: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous disease which is frequently associated with comorbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about the association of OLP with impaired kidney function. To elucidate the possible association of chronic kidney disease (CKD) with OLP and its severity, this study investigated the prevalence of CKD as well as its risk factors in patients with OLP. METHODS: A large prospective cross-sectional study of 1,021 patients with OLP was carried out using questionnaires and laboratory tests available from an oral medicine clinic at a university in eastern China. According to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) diagnostic guideline, CKD was classified based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) or urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR, >30 mg/g). RESULTS: The prevalence of CKD in the patients with OLP in this study was 14.3% (95% CI, 12.3–16.6%), which was higher than that in the general Chinese population (10.8%; 95% CI, 10.2–11.3%). The mean values of serum creatinine, eGFR, UACR, and urine N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase in patients with CKD were significantly higher than those in patients without CKD (all P<0.01). Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that CKD stage and UACR were positively correlated with the severity of OLP (both P<0.001). Importantly, multivariate regression analysis revealed that age ≥58 years old, female sex, and hypertension were independent risk factors for incident CKD and abnormal UACR (>30 mg/g) in patients with OLP (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study has reported for the first time that CKD is a comorbidity in patients with OLP. The occurrence and staging of incident CKD are associated with OLP and its severity.