Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Level in Patients With Oral Lichen Planus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background According to the possible role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the incidence of oral lichen planus (OLP) lesions, it seems necessary to evaluate this factor in patients with OLP. Objective The present study aims to investigate the level of VEGF in patients with OLP. Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the search was conducted in online databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The data were analyzed in the Stata v. 14 software at a 95% confidence interval (CI) and using a random effect model. The standardized mean difference was used to measure the difference in VEGF level between the two groups of control and OLP. The data heterogeneity was quantified by the I2 index. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of VEGF (SD=0.46, 95% CI: -2.13, -3.05, P=0.730) and the I2 index showed significant heterogeneity among the results of the studies (I2=97.9%). Based on the results of the immunohistochemistry, there was a significant difference in the VEGF level between the two groups (SD=3.30, 95% CI: 6.25, -0.36); however, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant via the ELISA method (P=0.530). Conclusion The VEGF level in patients with OLP is higher compared to healthy people. Therefore, the serum factors which indicate VEGF should be considered an effective risk factor for OLP.