As displayed in Fig. 5c the expression of SLC8A1 and MAP3K5 was higher in OLP than in the normal control; and the other 3 hub genes, RYK, WDR7 and GPBP1 were downregulated in OLP, although not all the them were statistically insignificant (SLC8A1: 1.87-fold increase, p = 0.0025; MAP3K5: 4.11-fold increase, p = 0.0001; RYK: 0.55-fold decrease, p = 0.0422; WDR7: 0.68-fold decrease, p = 0.1324; GPBP1: 0.73-fold decrease, p = 0.3399). This evidence concerns the gene MAP3K5 and oral lichen planus.