Background: Lichen Planus (LP) is a common inflammatory skin disease. Studies have shown that TIPE1 may play an important role in the immune, endocrine and the formation of the tumor. However to our knowledge, there are few reports about the role of TIPE1 in inflammatory diseases. Methods/Design: Immunohistochemistry was carried out to examine the expression of TIPE1 in tissue specimens from the lesions of 40 patients with LP, as well as from the skin of 35 normal human controls. Results: In this study, we found that TIPE1 expression was elevated in the epidermis layer in samples of LP versus normal skin, but reduced in the liquefaction degeneration of basal layer and the lichenoid infiltration of lymphocytes in the papillary dermis. Conclusion: Our results suggested that TIPE1 is involved in the occurrence and development of LP and that it may serve as a biomarker or therapeutic target of this disease.