Akne bei erwachsenen Frauen: Physiologische und psychologische Erwägungen und Management

DNA methylation mediated genetic risk in severe acne in a young men population

BACKGROUND

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects the pilosebaceous follicle and is influenced by heredity, hormones, inflammation, and the environment. At present, the recognized pathogenesis mainly includes four categories: excessive sebum secretion, excessive Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, excessive keratinization of sebaceous glands in hair follicles, and inflammatory mechanisms. Previous studies have found that DNA methylation is closely related to some chronic inflammatory skin diseases, and there is evidence that DNA methylation is controlled by genetic factors, making us want to know the relationship between DNA methylation, genetic variation and acne.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In our previous study, we performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in peripheral blood samples from 44 patients with severe acne and 44 unaffected normal subjects, and identified 23 differentially methylated probes (DMPs). In this study, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with severe acne by genome-wide association analysis in these 88 samples. To test the association between SNPs and DMPs, we conducted DNA methylation quantitative trait loci (methQTL) analysis. Next, causal inference testing (CIT) was used to determine whether genetic variation influences DNA methylation, which impacts disease phenotypes.

RESULT

We found 38,269 SNPs associated with severe acne. By methQTL analysis, we obtained 24 SNP-CpG pairs that reached the threshold (FDR < 0.05), which included 7 unique CpGs and 22 unique methQTL SNPs. After CIT analysis, we found that 11 out of 24 pairs of SNP-CpG showed a weakened SNP effect after adjustment for methylation, indicating a methylation-mediated relationship between SNPs and severe acne. These 11 SNP-CpG pairs consist of four unique CpG sites and 11 SNPs, of which three CpG sites, cg03020863, cg20652636, and cg19964325, are located on the gene body of PDGFD, the intron of SH2D6, and the 5'UTR of the IL1R1 gene, respectively.

CONCLUSION

During this study, the DNA methylation of certain genes was found to be influenced by genetic factors and mediated the risk of severe acne in a young Chinese male population, providing a new perspective on the pathogenesis of severe acne.

[Acne]

Acne vulgaris is one of the most frequent dermatological diseases with a lifetime prevalence of about 85%. The clinical spectrum shows a great variety. Key factors of pathogenesis are increased sebum production, hyperkeratinization of the follicular infundibulum, inflammatory processes, and a dysbiosis of the skin microbiome. In addition to endogenous factors (e.g., disturbances of the androgen metabolism) or other hormonal changes, exogenous factors (e.g., diet, mechanical irritation or the use of inappropriate cosmetics) can also play an important role. The clinical spectrum is broad, extending from neonatal Acne (A.) to adult A., from comedonal A. to fulminant A., from cosmetic A. to A. excoriée (skin picking disorder). The psychological effects of acne can be profound and can cause a severe reduction in quality of life. Therefore, in addition to an effective therapy with regular medical check-ups and good adherence, it is always necessary to consider psychological aspects.

Gut-Brain-Skin Axis in Psoriasis: A Review

Introduction

Psoriasis is a common skin disease, with chronic inflammation and a complex etiology. It has long been recognized that chronic skin conditions and mental health disorders are often co-morbid. Thus, the concept of the gut–brain–skin axis emphasized in mental health disorders may also regulate the health of skin.

Results

The gut microbiota has been found to be the bridge between the immune system and nervous system. By leveraging clinical cases and animal models of psoriasis, an important communication pathway has been identified along the gut–brain–skin axis that is associated with the modulation of neurotransmitters from the microbiota. Furthermore, mammalian neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin, or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), can be produced and/or consumed by several types of bacteria. Other studies suggest that manipulating these neurotransmitters by bacteria may have an effect on host physiology, and the levels of neurotransmitter can be altered by microbiota-based interventions.

Conclusions

Nonetheless, it is unknown whether or not the manipulation of neurotransmitter levels by bacteria can affect the occurrence and development of psoriasis. Notably, preliminary experiments found that oral consumption of probiotics improves the clinical symptoms in patients with psoriasis, perhaps correlated with the gut microbiome-mediated crosstalk between the immune system and the nervous system by secreting neurotransmitters in psoriasis. In this review, the communication along the gut–brain–skin axis is discussed.