Evaluation of the Effect of Oral Isotretinoin on the Level of Serum YKL40 in Acne Vulgaris Patients: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control

Abstract

Background

In the entire world, acne vulgaris (AV) is the most prevalent skin condition. Approximately 9.4% of people worldwide have acne vulgaris. This study compared the blood levels of chitinase 3-like protein 1 (YKL-40) in acne vulgaris patients before and after oral isotretinoin therapy.

Patients and Methods

The design of the study was cross-sectional case-control. Forty patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris and twenty healthy participants participated in this study. Using the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) score, patients with acne vulgaris were evaluated both before and after concluding their treatment. Using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the serum levels of YKL-40 were measured before and after oral isotretinoin therapy in healthy controls and acne patients.

Results

Patients with acne vulgaris had considerably greater serum levels of YKL-40 than healthy control subjects (p 0.001) did. After three months of oral isotretinoin medication, the GAGS score and blood levels of YKL-40 in acne vulgaris patients both significantly decreased.

Conclusion

The conclusion of this study was that reducing the blood levels of YKL-40 and the GAGS score in patients with acne vulgaris who took oral isotretinoin for three months was a crucial strategy.

Keywords:

• acne vulgaris
• YKL-40
• isotretinoin
• GAGS

Medical Writing and Editorial Assistance

No other writers’ assistance or editorial support was required.

Data Sharing Statement

The corresponding author, [Ali, MA], may provide the data that support the study’s conclusions upon request. Because [the data contain information that could jeopardize the privacy of research participants], they are not publicly available.

Ethics Statement

The patient who is the topic of this manuscript provided written, explicit agreement for the publication of the case details and photos.

Compliance of Ethics Guidelines

This investigation has received permission from the ethics committees of the Aswan University Faculty of Medicine (551/7/21). The Institutional Review Board-Ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University approved the study, which was conducted in conformance with the standards of the Declaration of Helsinki. This research registered on clinical trial with ID NCT05218486.

Consent for Publication

The subject provided written, explicit agreement for publication.

Acknowledgments

The study’s participants are acknowledged by the writers.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

There is no funding to report.