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RecruitingNCT06981767Updated Jun 9, 2026

Effect of Topical Bromelain Versus Topical Corticosteroids in the Management of Oral Lichen Planus

A Phase 2 interventional study of Topical Bromelain and 0.1% topical triamcinolone acetonide in Oral Lichen Planus, sponsored by Cairo University. Recruiting at 1 site in Egypt. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-09.

Sponsored by Cairo University · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
42
Allocation
Randomized
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Bromelain, an enzyme extract derived from pineapples, has shown promise due to its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. However, its efficacy in treating oral mucosal ulcers remains unexplored. This study aims to provide clinical evidence on the efficacy of bromelain for managing OLP, potentially offering a safer and more effective treatment option.

02

Conditions studied

  • Oral Lichen Planus

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03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients suffering from symptomatic OLP
  • Patients free from any visible oral lesions other than OLP.
  • Patients who agreed to take the supplied interventions.
  • Patient who will agree to participate in the study.
  • Patients who will accept to sign the informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients suffering from any systemic disease.
  • Treatment with any systemic treatment such as systemic steroids, other immunosuppressive drugs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at least eight weeks.
  • Treatment with any oral topical medications for at least four weeks prior to the study.
  • Pregnant and lactating mothers.
04

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
42 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Topical Bromelain in Orabase

    Participants in this group will receive topical bromelain incorporated into an orabase. Patients will be instructed to apply the formulation four times daily No additional topical medications will be permitted.

    Dietary Supplement: Topical Bromelain

  • Active comparator
    Topical Triamcinolone Acetonide in Orabase

    This group will receive topical 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide The treatment will be applied four times daily, following the same instructions and precautions as in Arm 1

    Drug: 0.1% topical triamcinolone acetonide

  • Experimental
    Combination of Topical Bromelain and Triamcinolone Acetonide in Orabase

    Participants in this arm will be treated with a combination formulation containing both topical bromelain and 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide in orabase. Application instructions will be identical to those in the other arms: four times daily.

    Combination Product: Combination of Topical Bromelain and Triamcinolone Acetonide in Orabase

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementTopical Bromelain

    A natural enzyme-based formulation derived from pineapple, bromelain in orabase is being investigated for its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. As a non-steroidal alternative, it offers a potentially safer treatment option with minimal side effects.

  • Drug0.1% topical triamcinolone acetonide

    A corticosteroid-based standard treatment for OLP, triamcinolone acetonide in orabase is used for its strong anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. It serves as the conventional treatment versus novel therapy in this study

  • Combination productCombination of Topical Bromelain and Triamcinolone Acetonide in Orabase

    This novel formulation combines the enzymatic, healing properties of bromelain with the anti-inflammatory property of triamcinolone. It is designed to provide enhanced therapeutic effects through synergistic action, potentially reducing the required corticosteroid dose while improving clinical outcomes.

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Clinical improvement

    Clinical improvement will be measured using Thongprasom et al. scoring system. In Thongprasom et al. scale, lesions are given score as follows: 0, no lesions, normal mucosa; 1, Mild white striae, no erythematous area; 2, White striae with atrophic area \< 1 cm2; 3, White striae with atrophic area \> 1 cm2; 4, White striae with erosive area \< 1 cm2 and 5, White striae with erosive area \> 1 cm2 (Thongprasom et al., 2003).

    Time frame: Recorded at baseline, and weekly for 4 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pain intensity

    Pain intensity will be measured using Visual analogue scale (VAS), VAS is a self-reported pain score ranging from 0 to 10 (Cheng et al., 2012) at baseline, daily for the first week, then weekly for the remaining 3 weeks.

    Time frame: baseline, daily for the first week, then weekly for the remaining 3 weeks.

  2. Oral health-related quality of life

    Oral health-related quality of life using Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) Oral health-related quality of life is a five-point Likert-type scale used in scoring each item of the OHIP-14. Responses are coded 0 = never', 1 = hardly ever', 2 = occasionally', 3 = fairly often', 4 = very often'. Item responses are summed to produce an OHIP-14 total score. Total OHIP-14 scores range from 0 (no impact) to 56 (all of the oral health problems are experienced very often). High scores indicates a poor oral health-related quality of life (Wiriyakijja et al., 2018).

    Time frame: at baseline, and weekly for the 4 weeks.

06

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
07

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06981767
Lead sponsor
Cairo University
Responsible party
Lujain Taleb Suleiman Aladwan (Master's Student in Oral Medicine, Cairo University) — Principal investigator
First posted
May 21, 2025
Start date
Feb 18, 2026
Primary completion
Jul 20, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Aug 15, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 9, 2026

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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