Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and oral lichen planus: a meta-analysis

Background Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease that affects the oral mucosa. Although Helicobacter pylori has been documented in subgingival and supragingival plaques and saliva, little is currently known about the relationship between Helicobacter pylori and OLP, warranting further research. Methods PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Web of Science databases were thoroughly searched for relevant articles published from inception until May 23, 2023. Results Due to high heterogeneity among the included studies (Tau2=2.16; =40.33, df=6; I2=85%), we employed a random-effects model (REM). The forest plot revealed a significant correlation between H. pylori infection and OLP, with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.69 (95% CI: 1.36 to 16.19; P<0.01). Sensitivity analysis showed that the pooled ORs ranged from 3.69 (95% CI: 1.01 to 13.44; P=0.05) to 6.77 (95% CI: 2.65–17.30; P<0.001), and no single study significantly influenced the results when removed individually. Additionally, subgroup analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection and OLP and explore the sources of heterogeneity. Finally, Begg's test (P=0.24) and Egger's test (P=0.35) were performed on the included studies, and the results indicated no significant publication bias. Conclusion Our meta-analysis suggests a close association between H. pylori infection and OLP. Nevertheless, further research is warranted to validate these results in the future.