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CompletedNCT02761122HPVLichenUpdated Jul 15, 2025

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

An interventional study of Human biological samples in Lichen Planus, sponsored by Institut Pasteur. Completed at 3 sites in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-07-15.

Sponsored by Institut Pasteur · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
21
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

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.

Read the detailed description

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 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.

Regarding erosive lichen planus, the aim is to test the cytotoxic function of the previously identified CD8 T lymphocytes specific for HPV16 E711-20.

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Conditions studied

  • Lichen Planus

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03

In context

Lichen Planus

74 studies on the registry are indexed under Lichen Planus; 15 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 21 is below the median of 30 across 55 interventional studies indexed under Lichen Planus.

Browse Lichen Planus studies →

Lead sponsor

Institut Pasteur is the lead sponsor of 99 studies on the registry; 41 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • At least 18 year-old
  • Clinically or confirmed lichen : Non-erosive lichen planus, Erosive lichen planus, or Sclerosus lichen
  • At diagnosis of desease before treatment, or during flares of the disease, with or without intake or topical application of
  • Affiliated or beneficiary of a social security system
  • Informed and written consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Under 18 year-old,
  • Legal protection measures,
  • Inability to consent
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Histologically or cytologically confirmed

The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).

Your pathology report is the document that shows this.

Immunosuppression

A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.

Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
21 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Patients with lichen

    Patients with non-erosive lichen planus, erosive lichen planus or lichen sclerosus. Human biological samples : * Blood sample * Skin or mucosal brushing * Skin or mucosal biopsy

    Procedure: Human biological samples

Interventions

  • ProcedureHuman biological samples

    * Blood sample * Skin or mucosal brushing * Skin or mucosal biopsy

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The use of the different segments of the Vbeta gene assessed by quantitative PCR, and the distribution of the different sizes of the complementarity determining regions (CDR) CDR3 by immunoscope.

    In patients with a non-erosive type of lichen and with a lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, the hypothesis for oligoclonal bias in the T-cell receptor repertoire on peripheral and in situ CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes will be tested realizing, on the 2 sorted subpopulations, a study of the use of the different segments of the Vbeta gene using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and a study of the distribution study of the different sizes of the CDR3 using immunoscope method. Depending on whether or not bias in the T-cell receptor repertoire exists, the study will be continued by looking for the same repertoire bias in situ, on injury site (skin or mucous, depending on the clinical type of lichen), and the research of clonal sequences (or clonotypes) from RNA of patients after cloning and complete sequencing. If clonotype T CD8 Vbeta3 are identified in these types of lichen, their specificity to HPV16 E711-20 wil be assessed by flow cytometry.

    Time frame: 2 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. The functionality and the cytotoxicity of CD8 Vbeta3 peripheric T lymphocytes assessed by flow cytometry.

    In patients with erosive lichen planus, the functionality and the cytotoxicity of CD8 Vbeta3 peripheric T lymphocytes will be assessed showing their ability to recognize and destroy a target carrier of HPV16 E711-20 peptide by flow cytometry.

    Time frame: 2 years

07

Study locations

3 sites
  • Service de Dermatologie du CHU de Besançon
    Besançon, France
  • Service de Dermatologie de l'hôpital Saint Louis
    Paris, France
  • Service de Dermatologie du CHU de Reims
    Reims, France
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References and documents

Publications

  • Viguier M, Perals C, Poirier B, Battistella M, Aubin F, Bachelez H, Pretet JL, Gheit T, Tommasino M, Touze A, Gougeon ML, Fazilleau N. Human papilloma virus-16-specific CD8+ T-cell expansions characterize different clinical forms of lichen planus and not lichen sclerosus et atrophicus. Exp Dermatol. 2023 Jun;32(6):859-868. doi: 10.1111/exd.14788. Epub 2023 Mar 15. PubMed 36922453 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 15, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02761122
Lead sponsor
Institut Pasteur
Collaborators
Société de Dermatologie Française
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 4, 2016
Start date
May 17, 2016
Primary completion
Apr 16, 2018
Completion
Apr 16, 2018
Last update
Jul 15, 2025

Study contacts

Marie-Lise Gougeon
study director · Institut Pasteur

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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