Oxidative stress in acne vulgaris

Background Acne vulgaris is one of the common dermatological diseases and its pathogenesis is multifactorial. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of oxidative stress in acne vulgaris. Materials and methods The study involved 32 patients with acne vulgaris in the patient group and 34 healthy adults in the control group. The parameters of oxidative stress such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), xanthine oxidase (XO), nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the venous blood of patients were measured spectrophotometrically. The values were compared with those of the control group. Results The serum levels of MDA and XO activity in the patients with acne vulgaris were significantly higher than those of the controls. A significantly lower SOD and CAT activity was found in the patient group than in the control group. Although the patient group had higher serum levels of NO than the control group, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion These results suggest that oxidative damage may play a role in the pathogenesis of acne; therefore, significant alterations may occur in the antioxidant defence system.