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Delayed skin test reactivity to Propionibacterium acnes correlates with severity of inflammation in acne vulgaris.

Propionibacterium acnes is the bacterial species most consistently isolated from acne lesions. Intradermal injection of a heat-killed suspension of P. acnes induced a delayed erythematous and often popular inflammatory reaction which was maximal after 24-48 h. This response was dose related and was probably mediated at least partly by immune mechanisms. In eighty-one subjects with acne of varying severity of the acne. These findings indicate that the host response to P. acnes is an important variable in determining the severity of inflammatory acne.

Acne Vulgaris↗

IgG subclasses specific to Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes in patients with acne vulgaris.

IgG subclasses specific to Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes were determined in sera from patients with mild, moderate or severe acne and from a control group. Titres specific to S. epidermidis were all within the same range and did not differ between groups. The titres of IgG subclasses to specific to P. acnes did vary between groups. IgG1 and IgG3 were significantly higher in severe acne patients compared with moderate acne patients, while IgG2 was significantly higher in moderate and severe patients compared with controls. Titres of IgG4 did not differ between groups. The pattern of titres observed suggests that, while the antibody response to S. epidermidis is relatively harmless, antibodies to P. acnes may be involved in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris.

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Activity of eleven kampo formulations and eight kampo crude drugs against Propionibacterium acnes isolated from acne patients: retrospective evaluation in 1990 and 1995.

We reviewed the susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes to eleven Kampo formulations and to eight Kampo crude drugs that had been studied by examining their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) in 1990 and 1995. P. acnes strains were most sensitive to Oren-gedoku-to (OGT) among these Kampo formulations. Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) and Phellodendri Cortex (PC) inhibited the growth of P. acnes significantly among the eight Kampo crude drugs examined. The patterns of distribution of MIC of Kampo formulations and Kampo crude drugs to P. acnes in this study were almost the same as in our previous report in 1990. No significant increases in MIC of Kampo formulations and Kampo crude drugs to P. acnes were observed. We speculated that Kampo crude drugs such as CR and PC, were better than minocycline or erythromycin from the point of view of a progressive increase in MIC to P. acnes. CR and PC, which were each an ingredient of OGT, might contain some components with strong antibacterial activity to P. acnes.

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Treatment of acne vulgaris and prevention of acne scarring: canadian consensus guidelines.

Acne affects approximately 95% of the population at some point during their lifetime.1 This common disorder can range from mild to severe forms, cause sometimes extensive scarring, and can last well into the fourth and fifth decades. Effective therapeutic agents are available to both treat acne and prevent ongoing disease. Despite this, dermatologists frequently see patients with significant acne scarring because many patients delay seeking medical attention for acne and many practitioners procrastinate over using effective antiscarring options. In patients who already demonstrate scarring, repeated courses of antibiotics only result in recurring acne and additional scarring. This, in turn, exacerbates the despair and other adverse psychosocial effects of the disease. There are a variety of agents and devices to help acne patients with scarring. However, successful treatment cannot be guaranteed, and in most cases residual scarring will be evident. Thus, the most effective way of managing acne scarring is to prevent its occurrence in the first place. Although we currently have a number of effective antiacne agents to control the disease, such as antibiotics and hormonal agents, isotretinoina is the only agent that has been shown to induce long-term drug-free remission and curative potential.

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Acne: evolution of the clinical practice and therapeutic management of acne between 1996 and 2000.

According to epidemiological studies, acne is a common condition affecting 80% of young people between 12 and 18 years of age. It is also the most common reason for consultation in private dermatology practices. Yet, paradoxically, very few studies have been concerned with the profile and therapeutic treatment of acne patients. The aim of this study was to compare both the evolution of the profile of acne patients and the therapies used by dermatologists between 1996 and 2000 through a survey. Two questionnaires had to be filled in by the dermatologists for all patients consulting for acne, the first in 1996 and the second in 2000. The purpose of these questions was to obtain information about the demographic characteristics of the patients, a clinical evaluation of the patients' acne, their quality of life and finally their treatment. The statistical tests used Chi2 tests and variance analysis. The alpha risk was fixed at 0.05. Two thousand two hundred and eighty four patients were included in the survey in 1996 and 2363 in 2000. The mean age was 21 7.6 in 1996 and 20.5 7.7 in 2000, the majority of whom were female (64.4% in 1996 and 63.6% in 2000). In 1996 37.4% were students, and 52.4% in 2000. For 81.1% of the patients, the consultations were spontaneous on their own initiative both in 1996 and 2000. As regards topical treatment, a decrease of antibiotic prescriptions was noted between 1996 and 2000 associated with a decrease of benzoyl peroxyde use. Concerning the systemic treatments, an increase of doxycyclin and isotretinoin prescriptions was reported together with a decrease of minocycline treatment. Prescription of zinc salts and hormonal treatments were stable. The frequency of biological investigations remained similar and low. The repercussions of acne on the patient's quality of life were more numerous in 1996 compared to 2000 but they remained equally intense for those who reported them. The profile of acne patients evolved slightly between 1996 and 2000 and interestingly the treatments were modified to take into account the information in the literature such as bacterial resistance or severe side effects.

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Chronic destructive oligoarthritis associated with Propionibacterium acnes in a female patient with acne vulgaris: septic-reactive arthritis?

Propionibacterium acnes is an anaerobic bacillus implicated in certain chronic arthritides. This report describes an HLA-B27+ 17-year-old woman with acne vulgaris who presented with rapidly destructive arthritis in the left shoulder as well as an evolving left subclavicular adenopathy. One year later, arthritis was detected in the left knee; the inflammatory synovial fluid was sterile. Growth of P acnes was observed in cultures of the shoulder synovium and lymph nodes, but polymerase chain reaction was negative for Borrelia, Chlamydia, and Ureaplasma DNA. Three months of treatment with amoxicillin and rifampicin led to clinical disappearance of the oligoarthritis, but arthritis recurred in the left knee after discontinuation of therapy. On biopsy, bacteria were undetectable in the knee synovium, but chronic arthritis was evident histologically. Antibiotics were reintroduced for 12 months and were again effective against the clinical symptoms. Although the asymmetry, histologic features, arthritis-acne association, and genetic predisposition of this chronic destructive oligoarthritis would seem to indicate a reactive arthropathy, the isolation of P acnes from 2 distinct specimens prompted us to propose calling this a case of septic-reactive arthritis, which is further supported by the absence of progression after antibiotic therapy and the persistence of the rheumatism. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the efficacy of prolonged antibiotic therapy on the joint manifestations of chronic rheumatism associated with acne.

Acne Vulgaris↗

Complement activation in acne vulgaris: in vitro studies with Propionibacterium acnes and Propionibacterium granulosum.

To better define the role of bacteria in inflammatory acne vulgaris, we have investigated the ability of four strains of Propionibacterium acnes and three strains of Propionibacterium granulosum to activate complement. Complement activation was assayed by incubating normal human serum with varying concentrations of each strain and measuring residual total hemolytic complement activity. When serum was tested unaltered, P. acnes strains were approximately threefold more potent than an equal weight of P. granulosum in consuming complement, which could reflect classical and/or alternative pathway activation. All strains also consumed complement in serum chelated with ethyleneglycol-bis (beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid, which selectively assays alternative pathway activation. Incubation of unaltered serum with both P. acnes and P. granulosum resulted in immunoelectrophoretic conversion of C4, C3, and factor B of the alternative pathway. Incubation of chelated serum resulted in conversion of C3 and factor B. These data taken together suggest that both species can activate complement through either pathway. Serum incubated with P. acnes was chemotactic for polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and this chemotactic activity was largely C5 dependent as shown by antibody inhibition. It is suggested that complement activation may occur in vivo in acne, and the inflammatory response may be contributed to by the generation of C5-dependent chemotactic factors.

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Sensitivity of Propionibacterium acnes isolated from acne patients: comparative study of antimicrobial agents.

The antimicrobial susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes isolated before and after treatment of acne patients was measured. The four female and three male acne patients were treated with an oral acne medication, roxithromycin or minocycline, and/or a topical acne medication, nadifloxacin cream or clindamycin hydrochloride lotion for 1-8 weeks. The isolated strains were tested for their susceptibility to the antimicrobial action of: nadifloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, clindamycin hydrochloride, tetracycline hydrochloride, minocycline, doxycycline, ampicillin, cephalexin and gentamycin. No resistant strains of P. acnes were observed.

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Antibiotic sensitivity of Propionibacterium acnes isolates from patients with acne vulgaris in a tertiary dermatological referral centre in Singapore.

OBJECTIVES: To study the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) isolates to selected antibiotics from patients with acne vulgaris in Singapore and determine if resistance increases with prolonged use of antibiotics. DESIGN: A single-centre prospective study. SETTING: Tertiary dermatological referral centre in Singapore. PATIENTS: One hundred and fifty patients with acne vulgaris seen at the National Skin Centre. RESULTS: In patients who had never been on antibiotics, there were no resistant isolates of P. acnes. In patients who had been on short-term antibiotics (between 6 to 18 weeks), there were 2 resistant strains among the 34 isolates (6.25%); in patients who had been on antibiotics for longer periods, there were 11 resistant strains among the 51 isolates (21.6%). The differences in the rates of isolation of resistant strains between patients who had not been on antibiotics to those that had been on long-term antibiotics were statistically significant (P = 0.015). There was also a significant difference in isolation of resistant strains from those on short-term antibiotics compared to those who had been on long-term antibiotics (P = 0.036). Resistance to erythromycin was most commonly encountered. Most of the erythromycin-resistant strains also showed cross-resistance to clindamycin. The average MICs to antibiotics such as minocycline, erythromycin and clindamycin in those on long-term antibiotics were significantly higher when compared to patients who had not been on antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic resistance in P. acnes isolates in Singapore follows similar patterns to studies conducted in Europe. Resistance to erythromycin was most commonly seen, and this is associated with cross-resistance to clindamycin. Among the tetracycline group of drugs, the average MICs to tetracycline was higher than that for doxycycline, which in turn was higher than that for minocycline. Antibiotic resistance can occur with short-term antibiotic courses, and the rate of resistance increases as the duration of antibiotic consumption increases.

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Acne fulminans with synovitis-acne-pustulosis-hyperostosis-osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome treated with infliximab.

Acne fulminans is a syndrome of sudden onset hemorrhagic and ulcerative acne involving the back, chest, and face combined with systemic symptoms. It can be the dermatologic manifestation of the synovitis-acne-pustulosis-hyperostosis-osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome. Current therapy for acne fulminans consists of wound care, topical and systemic corticosteroids, isotretinoin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Infliximab, a recently developed monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor-alfa, has shown efficacy in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis both of which share clinical similarities to the SAPHO syndrome. We report the case of a patient with the SAPHO syndrome and acne fulminans who was treated with infliximab. Ten months after initiating therapy with infliximab, the area of the patient's ulcerative lesions was reduced by 70%. Infliximab might be considered as a treatment option for patients with acne fulminans unresponsive to conventional therapies.

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Is acne really a disease?: a theory of acne as an evolutionarily significant, high-order psychoneuroimmune interaction timed to cortical development with a crucial role in mate choice.

Adolescent acne is considered from the perspective of evolutionary psychology with an emphasis on a role in mate choice. The fact that acne, which is almost universal and not a true infection, is (1) initiated at puberty by the action of pubertal hormones on likely distinct, pro-acne follices, and (2) typically resolves in one's early twenties when prefrontal cortex development is complete, suggests that the condition's timeframe is meaningful. Acne's conspicuous localization on the face, and its ability to elicit reflexive disgust and avoidance in observers, suggests a possible role in sexual selection. The pathophysiology of acne is reviewed, and the suggestion made that, far from being a disease, adolescent acne is a normal physiological process - a high-order psychoneuroimmune interaction - that functions to ward off potential mates until the afflicted individual is some years past the age of reproductive maturity, and thus emotionally, intellectually, and physically fit to be a parent.

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Exploration of retinoid activity and the role of inflammation in acne: issues affecting future directions for acne therapy.

The review summarizes new results concerned with several important issues in the treatment of patients with acne. The first section reviews studies which show that 13-cis retinoic acid, a molecule with strong biological activity but low binding affinity for retinoid receptors and cellular-binding proteins in sebocytes, undergoes rapid intracellular conversion to all-trans retinoic acid. This active metabolite exerts its actions on sebocyte gene expression by binding to the nuclear retinoic acid receptor rather than the retinoid X receptor. Importantly, 13-cis retinoic acid, unlike all-trans retinoic acid, does not induce cytochrome P450 1A1, an enzyme responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics. Thus, administration of 13-cis retinoic acid permits high long-term intracellular accumulation of its active metabolite. The second section reviews studies which suggest that leukotriene B4 may play a key role in acne-related inflammation. Results from a preliminary clinical study indicate that therapy with a specific lipoxygenase inhibitor is clinically effective in the treatment of patients with inflammatory acne and that its clinical efficacy is correlated with the drug's ability to reduce total lipid levels, and especially pro-inflammatory lipids, in sebum. Interestingly, 13-cis retinoic acid has been shown to modulate the activities of LTB4 and inflammatory events in the development of acne. Therefore, future compounds targeting acne have to inhibit pro-inflammatory lipids in sebum, and thus down-regulate acne-related inflammatory signals and reduce the LTB4-induced migration of inflammatory cells.

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Androgen excess in women with acne alone compared with women with acne and/or hirsutism.

Acne is known to be one of the features of hyperandrogenism. The aim of the present work was to study women with persistent acne and without other evidence of hyperandrogenism, such as hirsutism, alopecia, or irregular menses. Among 87 female patients with acne and/or hirsutism, we defined three groups: group 1 (n = 29), patients having treatment-resistant acne without menstrual disturbance, alopecia, or hirsutism; group 2 (n = 27), patients with acne and hirsutism; and group 3 (n = 31), patients with hirsutism alone. Clinical chemistry criteria for hyperandrogenism were based on elevated values of one or more of the following parameters: plasma testosterone, delta-4-androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, urinary 5 alpha-androstane 3 alpha-17 beta-diol, and 17-ketosteroids (with chromatography). Plasma and urine samples were drawn between the 18th and 25th days of the cycle. Among group 1 patients, we found 25 subjects (86%) with hyperandrogenism, according to these laboratory criteria. The etiologies were: polycystic ovary syndrome (36%), adrenal hypersecretion (40%, of which 12% showed secondary polycystic ovaries), isolated increase in 5 alpha-androstane 3 alpha-17 beta-diol (20%), and hyperandrogenism without diagnosis (4%). The parameters were found to be more elevated in these patients than in a control group of 30 normal volunteer women. In groups 2 and 3, the findings were essentially the same as in group 1, except for increased levels of testosterone and the testosterone/SHBG ratio. Furthermore, it was evident that persistent acne may be an isolated sign of hyperandrogenism.

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Acne vulgaris: an investigation into the number of anaerobic diphtheroids and members of the Micrococcaceae in normal and acne skin.

A quantitative study was made of the microflora of 174 acne and 68 non-acne subjects. Two groups of organisms were investigated, the anaerobic diphtheroids and members of the Micrococcaceae. The results showed high numbers of both groups of bacteria in skin bearing blackheads, papules or pustules and in non-acne adolescent skin. There were significantly lower numbers of bacteria in the pilosebaceous ducts of normal looking skin in acne areas and in pre-adolescent skin when compared with non-acne adolescent skin. It is suggested that increased numbers of bacteria alone do not predispose to acne, but that their interaction with the skin, which is a function of the localized skin environment, may be important.

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Coping with acne vulgaris. Evaluation of the chronic skin disorder questionnaire in patients with acne.

The present study investigated how patients with acne vulgaris cope with their disease. By means of questionnaires, relations and interactions between acne and psyche were evaluated. In addition to the evaluation of a specific questionnaire for patients with chronic skin disorders (CSD), assessing psychosocial impairment by the disease, depression and social anxiety were investigated in patients with acne. The study included 50 patients with acne. The CSD showed significant correlations with Beck's depression inventory, the interaction-anxiety questionnaire and the health locus of control scale. The CSD revealed significant differences compared to a control group of 33 patients with healthy skin. Furthermore the patients' attitudes towards triggering factors and disease-related limitations in everyday life are presented. The results of the study demonstrate that patients with acne suffer from emotional distress and psychosocial problems caused by their disease; however, impairment is not correlated with the objective severity of acne.

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Oral treatment of acne vulgaris and oil acne with tetracycline.

In 51 patients with acne vulgaris and 34 patients suffering from occupational oil acne the clinical effect of orally administered tetracycline was evaluated before, during and after a 3-monthly treatment (total dose of antibiotic: 1st month, 28.5 g; 2nd and 3rd months, 15.0 g). Patients treated with placebo were used as controls. Investigations of the skin fluorescence under Wood's light were performed during the treatment period. In one half of the patients with acne vulgaris and oil acne oral treatment with tetracycline had a very good clinical effect. The purpose of this investigation was the comparison of the results of the treatment of acne vulgaris and occupational oil acne with tetracycline.

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[Acne in adult women: data from a national study on the relationship between type of acne and markers of clinical hyperandrogenism].

INTRODUCTION: The role of hyperandrogenism in acne occurring or persisting in adult women is controversial. Studies reported have often been carried out in hospital settings. The aim of this nationwide prospective and descriptive study was to evaluate the frequency of clinical hyperandrogenism in a large number of adult acneic women visiting dermatologists in a non-hospital setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred and fifteen dermatologists completed clinical questionnaires concerning the next five female patients with acne at their private practices. These patients had to be between 25 and 45 years of age. The questionnaire covered patients' demographic characteristics, medical history, gynaecological status and acne history. Patients' acne, seborrhea and cycle disorders were described, as well as other signs suggesting hyperandrogenism, such as hirsutism and alopecia. RESULTS: A total of 1 135 questionnaires were analyzed. Nearly 50 p. 100 of the patients had major scalp or facial seborrhea, 18.4 p. 100 hirsutism, 7 p. 100 alopecia and 32.2 p. 100 menstrual cycle abnormalities. When these signs were present, acne was more often retentional, with more scarring and more widespread. CONCLUSION: This prospective study in a large number of patients in a non-hospital setting shows that acne in adult women is frequently associated with clinical hyperandrogenism.

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Acne fulminans: investigation of acute febrile ulcerative acne.

Eight cases of acne fulminans (acute febrile ulcerative acne) are compared with 13 previously reported cases. This rare disorder of male teenage patients is characterized by the sudden appearance of highly inflammatory, tender, ulcerative and crusted lesions on the back, chest, and face: it is one of the most scarring acute dermatologic disorders of young patients. At the onset of the disease, all patients showed febrile temperatures and marked leukocytosis; other systemic symptoms occurred with varying frequency. Polyarthralgia was noted in half of our series. Investigations of potential trigger mechanisms (eg, septisemia due to Corynebacterium acnes, immunologic defects, altered polymorphonuclear leukocyte function, Shwartzman phenomenon) did not yield any clues regarding the pathogenesis of this disease. Clinical and laboratory findings suggest that acne fulminans is not directly related to acne conglobata.

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