Implication of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Lichen Physiopathology in Human (HPVLichen)

Lichen planus is a chronic cutaneous and mucosal disease characterized by the infiltration of cluster of differentiation (CD) CD8 T lymphocytes, localized under the basal membrane and associated with apoptosis of basal keratinocytes, suggesting a reactivity of T lymphocytes toward keratinocyte antigen(s), so far unidentified. In a recent study, the research team at Institut Pasteur has demonstrated in a peculiar clinical form of lichen planus (erosive lichen planus), that the immunogenic target of CD8 T lymphocytes could be the immunodominant peptide of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) 16. In line with this recent work which shows for the first time a link between HPV-16 and an autoimmune disease, erosive lichen planus, the aim of te study is to test the hypothesis that HPV could be also involved in the pathogenesis of other clinical forms of lichen, such as non erosive lichen planus or lichen sclerosus.