Low levels of vitamin D linked to development of acne, study finds

Nepal: A new study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology has found vitamin D to be low in patients with moderate-to-severe acne compared to control. Further, short-term therapy with oral isotretinoin did not seem to modify vitamin D levels. 

Vitamin D may have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris (AV) owing to its immunomodulatory effect and regulating the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes. Oral isotretinoin used for managing moderate-to-severe acne binds to the retinoid receptor, forming a heterodimer with the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and reducing vitamin D levels by increasing catabolism. So far, only two studies have investigated the effect of oral isotretinoin on serum vitamin D levels and have yielded contradictory results. 

Against the above background, Samir Shrestha, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal, and colleagues aimed to compare the serum vitamin D levels in patients with moderate-to-severe acne and age- and sex-matched healthy controls and to determine the serum level of vitamin D in patients with moderate-to-severe acne after 3 months of oral isotretinoin treatment. 

For this purpose, the study enrolled a total of 120 patients with moderate-to-severe acne and 90 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Patients were treated with oral isotretinoin at 0.50–0.75 mg/kg/day and measurements of vitamin D were done at baseline and 3 months after the treatment.