Role of KLF2: New insight in inflammatory acne pathogenesis

Analysis of Isotretinoin-Induced Alterations in the Levels of Plasma Trace Elements: Investigation of the Relationship Between Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, and Treatment-Related Side Effects

Isotretinoin is an effective treatment against acne vulgaris, but it also causes many side effects during and after the treatment. The relationship between the changes in the levels of plasma trace elements of patients with AV after 3 months of isotretinoin treatment and the side effects was investigated in the study. Plasma samples of 35 patients were collected before and after isotretinoin treatment. Samples were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer. After treatment, the levels of phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc in plasma increased statistically, while the level of potassium decreased (p < 0.05). The treatment had differing effects on zinc levels based on the gender of the individuals. With treatment, the levels of zinc in the plasma of men showed a greater increase compared to women (p = 7.3e-04). Additionally, the correlation matrix analysis revealed a strong correlation (R > 0.8) between magnesium and calcium. According to the study results, the change in phosphorus and potassium levels shows that isotretinoin affects kidney functions. The results suggest that phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and zinc are associated with fatigue, dry skin and chapped lips, hair loss, and sebum secretion, respectively. Consequently, the study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive pre-treatment assessment, including monitoring of liver and kidney function as well as the levels of phosphorus and potassium in patients.

Untargeted metabolomics analysis of the plasma metabolic signature of moderate-to-severe acne

BACKGROUND

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of pilosebaceous units and sebaceous glands. This study aimed to find out metabolites and metabolite pathways abnormal in moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris patients.

METHODS

The plasma metabolites LC-MS/MS analysis was conducted on 30 moderate-to-severe acne patients and 32 healthy controls. Multivariate data analyses were applied to identify the distinguishing metabolites.

RESULTS

Totally, 63 significant differential metabolites and 40 metabolic pathways were significantly changed. The top 3 metabolites on the basis of their VIP scores obtained from the PLS-DA were 2-Oxoadipic acid, Myo-inositol and Citrate. In addition, four sphingolipid metabolites include sphinganine, sphingosine, O-Phosphoethanolamine, and sphingomyelin (d18:1/18:0) were identified. The most closely related metabolic pathways included ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and sphingolipid signaling pathway in moderate-to-severe acne patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The observed difference in metabolic profiles between acne patients and healthy controls provides a new insight into the link between plasma metabolic changes and acne vulgaris.