Publication:

Role of insulin-like growth factor 1 in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris: relation to acne severity and body mass index

Background Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial skin disease. A potential role for insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has been suggested in the pathogenesis of acne. Several studies have shown that elevated levels of serum IGF-1 correlate with overproduction of sebum and acne.

Objective Measurement of the serum level of IGF-1 in acne patients in comparison to normal controls and evaluating the relationship of these levels to severity of acne and body mass index (BMI), in order to investigate the role of this factor in the pathogenesis of acne.

Methods Fifty-four patients with acne vulagaris and 42 healthy controls were included. History taking, dermatological examination, clinical assessments of acne severity, calculation of BMI were performed for patients. Blood samples were collected from all participants for estimation of serum IGF-1 level using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay.

Results There was a significantly higher serum IGF-1 level in acne patients (p 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between serum IGF-1 level and age of the patients.

Conclusions There is a significantly higher serum IGF-1 in acne patients than controls not related to acne severity and BMI. That is adding to the scientific evidence of IGF-1 role in pathogenesis of acne vulgaris.