The Influence of Peripheral Androgen Conversion at Women Adult Acne

Summary

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the pilosebaceous unit. Recent studies have demonstrated an increase number of acne cases in adult women. These cases are predominantly normoandrogenic and have some clinical differences when compared with the most common group, the adolescent. The local glandular metabolism converts some hormonal precursors to more active substances that increase the sebum production, leaving these areas more prone to increase the colonization to Propionibacterium Acnes (P. Acnes). Toll-like receptor 2, expressed by inflammatory cells play a crucial role in the innate immune response to this bacterium. Previous studies confirm that exist a reduced expression of CD1d by keratinocytes in acne lesion, what can be interpreted as a low antigen-present function. The influence of hormonal alteration in the sebaceous glands could modulate the expressions of TLR-2 and CD1d explaining the persistence of lesions in adult women. The change to more estrogenic metabolism, with use of specific contraceptive pills could normalize this immune-mediated inflammatory process. Objective To analyze how the peripheral androgen conversion can influence the toll-like receptor 2 and CD1d expression in women with inflammatory acne before and after 6 months of oral contraceptives with anti-androgen activity.

Timeline

Start

2012-03

Primary completion

2013-06

Completion

2015-01

Publications

• Background Bhambri S, Del Rosso JQ, Bhambri A. Pathogenesis of acne vulgaris: recent advances. J Drugs Dermatol. 2009 Jul;8(7):615-8.
• Background Shen Y, Wang T, Zhou C, Wang X, Ding X, Tian S, Liu Y, Peng G, Xue S, Zhou J, Wang R, Meng X, Pei G, Bai Y, Liu Q, Li H, Zhang J. Prevalence of acne vulgaris in Chinese adolescents and adults: a community-based study of 17,345 subjects in six cities. Acta Derm Venereol. 2012 Jan;92(1):40-4. doi: 10.2340/00015555-1164.
• Background Gollnick H, Cunliffe W, Berson D, Dreno B, Finlay A, Leyden JJ, Shalita AR, Thiboutot D; Global Alliance to Improve Outcomes in Acne. Management of acne: a report from a Global Alliance to Improve Outcomes in Acne. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003 Jul;49(1 Suppl):S1-37. doi: 10.1067/mjd.2003.618. No abstract available.
• Background Thiboutot D. Acne: hormonal concepts and therapy. Clin Dermatol. 2004 Sep-Oct;22(5):419-28. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2004.03.010.
• Background Kurokawa I, Danby FW, Ju Q, Wang X, Xiang LF, Xia L, Chen W, Nagy I, Picardo M, Suh DH, Ganceviciene R, Schagen S, Tsatsou F, Zouboulis CC. New developments in our understanding of acne pathogenesis and treatment. Exp Dermatol. 2009 Oct;18(10):821-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2009.00890.x. Epub 2009 Jun 23.
• Background White GM. Recent findings in the epidemiologic evidence, classification, and subtypes of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1998 Aug;39(2 Pt 3):S34-7. doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(98)70442-6.
• Background Goulden V, Stables GI, Cunliffe WJ. Prevalence of facial acne in adults. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999 Oct;41(4):577-80.
• Background Goulden V, Clark SM, Cunliffe WJ. Post-adolescent acne: a review of clinical features. Br J Dermatol. 1997 Jan;136(1):66-70.
• Background Poli F, Dreno B, Verschoore M. An epidemiological study of acne in female adults: results of a survey conducted in France. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2001 Nov;15(6):541-5. doi: 10.1046/j.1468-3083.2001.00357.x.

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