title: Immunoregulatory effects of isotretinoin in patients with acne.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In vitro studies have shown that retinoids influence T-cell differentiation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of isotretinoin on T-cell differentiation markers in patients with acne.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 37 patients with acne vulgaris (25 female, 12 male, age 19.6 ± 3.7 years) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (19 female, 11 male, age 20.5 ± 4.4 years) were included in the study. Screening for biochemical parameters in serum samples were done just before initiation (pretreatment) and after 3 months of isotretinoin treatment (post-treatment) in the acne group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α (P<0.0001), interleukin (IL)-4 (P<0.0001), IL-17 (P<0.0001) and interferon (IFN)-γ (P=0.002) were significantly higher in the acne group compared with the control group. TNF-α (P<0.0001), IL-4 (P<0.0001), IL-17 (P<0.0001) and IFN-γ (P<0.0001) levels decreased after isotretinoin treatment. TNF-α and IL-4 values after isotretinoin treatment were similar to those of the control group. However, levels of IL-17 (P<0.0001) after isotretinoin treatment were higher than those of the control group, despite a significant decline after treatment. Levels of IFN-γ (P<0.0001) after isotretinoin treatment were lower than those of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that isotretinoin treatment significantly decreases TNF, IL-4, IL-17 and IFN-γ levels in patients with acne. We failed to show that isotretinoin redirects naive T helper (Th) differentiation preferentially towards the Th2 cell lineage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Yuzuncu yil University, Faculty of Medicine, Van, Turkey. drayserem@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Karadag
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Ertugrul
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Bilgili
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Takci
authors.forename: K O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Calka
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015474:Isotretinoin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D015474:Isotretinoin