Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is involved in multiple immune-mediated disorders including oral lichen planus (OLP). This study investigated the association between VDR gene polymorphisms and the risk of OLP. Methods: In total, 177 OLP patients and 207 healthy participants were recruited from the Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs: rs731236, rs739837, rs757343, rs2107301, rs2239185, rs7975232, rs11574129 and rs11568820) in the

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... R gene were selected and genotyped. Results: The results showed that OLP risk was increased in subjects with the rs2239185 TT genotype (Recessive model: adjusted OR = 2.68, 95% CI = 1.28-5.62, P = 0.009) and rs7975232 CC genotype (Recessive model: adjusted OR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.10-4.58, P = 0.026). Moreover, rs2239185 and rs7975232 (P < 0.01) showed significant cumulative effects on OLP risk...Haplotype analysis showed that the CC haplotype (rs2239185-rs7975232) was associated with an increased risk of OLP (OR = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.42-6.83, P = 0.005), compared with the AC haplotype. Conclusion: the rs2239185 and rs7975232 variants of VDR may influence OLP susceptibility, and VDR gene polymorphisms may be candidate susceptibility regions for OLP in a Chinese Han population. Background Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa mediated by T cells, whose etiology remains unknown. OLP is characterized as dense lymphocyte infiltration and basal keratinocyte degeneration observable under a microscope [1] . OLP, the typical clinical feature of which include white stripes, can manifest as reticular, papular, plaque-like, erosive, atrophic and bullous [2, 3] . Erosive-like lesions are considered to be the most threatening condition and are characterized by pain, ranging from mild discomfort to severe onset [4] .The pain seriously affects the patient's eating experience and food digestion, reducing the patients quality of life. Previous studies have suggested that vitamin D (VD) deficiency may be associated with an increased risk of some inflammatory diseases, such as OLP and inflammatory bowel disease [5, 6] . OLP patients The authors declare no conflict of interest.