title: A quantitative analysis of Propionibacterium acnes in lesional and non-lesional skin of patients with progressive macular hypomelanosis by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Little is known about the etiology of progressive macular hypomelanosis, although it has been suggested that Propionibacterium acnes plays an important role. While microbiological culture is commonly employed to identify Propionibacterium acnes, new identification methods have been under investigation, amongst them polymerase chain reaction. To determine the cut-off point for the number of genome copies of Propionibacterium acnes in the lesional skin of patients with progressive macular hypomelanosis as a positive marker, employing quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and anaerobic culture, considered gold standard. An observational study with a comparison group, included 35 patients with dermatosis, attended at the Oswaldo Cruz University Hospital, Pernambuco, Brazil, between March and May 2008. Lesional skin was compared to non-lesional skin through positive testing with real-time polymerase chain reaction and culture. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 12.0, was employed for the association analysis with the McNemar test, and the cut-off point with the ROC curve for maximum values. Propionibacterium acnes was most frequently encountered in lesional areas (p<0,025). The cut-off point of Propionibacterium acnes in lesional skin was 1,333 genome copies, with a sensitivity of 87,9% and a specificity of 100,0%. Since Propionibacterium acnes is a saprophyte, identifying the cut-off point may assist in determining its positivity in lesional skin in patients suffering with this dermatosis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Dermatologia, Universidade de Pernambuco , Recife, PE , Brasil.
authors.forename: Silvana Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de Morais Cavalcanti
authors.forename: Emmanuel Rodrigues
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: de França
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: Ana Kelly
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lins
authors.forename: Laura Costa
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Magalhães
keywords: Biopsy/bacteriology; Hypopigmentation/progressive macular hypomelanosis; Polymerase chain reaction; Propionibacterium acnes; ROC curve
references.citation: Br J Dermatol. 2008 Mar;158(3):442-55
references.pmid: 18275522
references.citation: J Postgrad Med. 2006 Jul-Sep;52(3):179-82
references.pmid: 16855317
references.citation: Urology. 2009 Feb;73(2):220-4
references.pmid: 18407335
references.citation: J Med Microbiol. 2008 Feb;57(Pt 2):218-224
references.pmid: 18201989
references.citation: J Infect. 2007 Aug;55(2):119-24
references.pmid: 17418419
references.citation: Br J Dermatol. 1980 Apr;102(4):437-41
references.pmid: 7387886
references.citation: Pediatr Dermatol. 2008 Jan-Feb;25(1):63-5
references.pmid: 18304157
references.citation: Am J Ophthalmol. 2004 Nov;138(5):878-9
references.pmid: 15531335
references.citation: Int J Dermatol. 2006 Jun;45(6):737-42
references.pmid: 16796639
references.citation: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006 Nov;55(5):836-43
references.pmid: 17052490
references.citation: Br J Dermatol. 2005 Jul;153(1):66-71
references.pmid: 16029328
references.citation: Lancet Infect Dis. 2004 Jun;4(6):337-48
references.pmid: 15172342
references.citation: Dermatol Ther. 2005 May-Jun;18(3):253-66
references.pmid: 16229726
references.citation: Vox Sang. 2005 Nov;89(4):208-14
references.pmid: 16262753
references.citation: Lett Appl Microbiol. 2006 Mar;42(3):185-8
references.pmid: 16478502
references.citation: Arch Dermatol. 2004 Feb;140(2):210-4
references.pmid: 14967796
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 2002 Jan;40(1):198-204
references.pmid: 11773116
references.citation: Neurosurgery. 2005 Dec;57(6):1237-43; discussion 1237-43
references.pmid: 16331172
references.citation: Hepatology. 2001 Mar;33(3):530-6
references.pmid: 11230731
references.citation: Dermatol Clin. 2007 Jul;25(3):363-71, ix
references.pmid: 17662902
references.citation: Clin Microbiol Infect. 2004 Mar;10(3):190-212
references.pmid: 15008940
references.citation: Microb Pathog. 2009 Feb;46(2):80-7
references.pmid: 19049821
references.citation: J Med Microbiol. 2004 Dec;53(Pt 12):1247-1253
references.pmid: 15585505