Levamisole and/or Chinese medicinal herbs can modulate the serum level of squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen in patients with erosive oral lichen planus

Abstract

The serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen (SCCA) were determined by a microparticle enzyme immunoassay in a group of patients with stage I oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), major or minor type erosive oral lichen planus (EOLP), recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), Behçet's disease (BD), oral leukoplakia (OL), or oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), and in normal control subjects. About 97% of the normal control subjects and the patients with minor type EOLP, RAS, BD, OL or OSF had a serum level of SCCA within the normal limit of 1.2 ng/ml. However, 6 of the 12 (50%) patients with stage I OSCC and 14 of the 31 (45.2%) patients with major type EOLP had a serum level of SCCA greater than 1.2 ng/ml. The mean serum level of SCCA in stage I OSCC patients (1.38+/-1.16 ng/ml) or in major type EOLP patients (1.32+/-1.23 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that in normal control subjects (P<0.001) and that in the patients with minor type EOLP (P<0.001), RAS (P<0.001), BD (P<0.05), OL (P<0.05), or OSF (P<0.05). Either major or minor type EOLP patients could obtain a significant mean reduction of the serum SCCA level of 0.34-0.63 ng/ml after treatment with levamisole and/or Chinese medicinal herbs for 1-30 months. Combination therapy with levamisole plus Chinese medicinal herbs could achieve a shorter duration of treatment to get complete remission than the single therapy with either levamisole only or Chinese medicinal herbs only. We conclude that levamisole and/or Chinese medicinal herbs can modulate the serum SCCA level in EOLP patients. SCCA may be a useful marker in evaluating therapeutic effects and in monitoring the disease status of EOLP. For EOLP patients, the combination therapy is superior to the single therapy of levamisole or of Chinese medicinal herbs.

Levamisole can reduce the high serum tumour necrosis factor-? level to a normal level in patients with erosive oral lichen planus

“…c Major type: patients with EOLP with oral erosion or ulceration >10 mm in diameter. [5][6][7] For example, all the patients with EOLP in our study showed either complete healing of EOLP lesions or the transformation of the EOLP to NEOLP after levamisole therapy. Multiple comparisons between patients and normal controls with *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.005, and ****P < 0.001.…”

“…[5][6][7] Our previous studies found that treatment with levamisole for a period of 0.5-30 months significantly reduced the abnormally high serum level of squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen (SCCA), interleukin (IL)-6 or IL-8 to normal levels. [5][6][7] Our previous studies found that treatment with levamisole for a period of 0.5-30 months significantly reduced the abnormally high serum level of squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen (SCCA), interleukin (IL)-6 or IL-8 to normal levels.…”

“…8 b A value of 7.4 pg ⁄ mL (equal to the approximate mean normal level + 2SD) was adopted as the upper limit of the normal range of TNF-a. [5][6][7] Normalization of SCCA, IL-6, and IL-8 levels suggests a decrease in tissue destruction and inflammation in local OLP lesions and is always accompanied by marked improvement in symptoms. d Minor type: patients with EOLP with oral erosion or ulceration <10 mm in diameter.…”

Greater therapeutic efficacy of prednisolone plus medicinal herbs than prednisolone or medicinal herbs alone in patients with oral lichen planus

“…This is also an area that requires further study. 47,51,52 In addition, further research is needed to discover the functional mechanisms of the above-described traditional medicines, and compare them with the other useful herbal medicines for OLP therapy. 45,47 Conclusions Treatment of OLP with prednisolone plus traditional medicinal herbs can improve symptoms, relieve pain, reduce recurrent severity, and prolong the disease-free period, is more costeffective, and has fewer side-effects of oral candidiasis than treatment with other medications.…”

Anti-helminthic drugs in recurrent apthous stomatitis: A short review

“…[16] Adverse affects of levamisole are mild and infrequent and include rash, nausea, abdominal cramps, taste alteration, alopecia, arthralgia and a flu-like syndrome and rarely cause agranulocytosis. [14] Agranulocytosis is commonly seen in those patients with human leukocyte antigen-B27 positivity and in those patients who have undergone long-term levamisole therapy.…”