Serum interleukin-17 as a novel biomarker in patients with acne vulgaris.

BACKGROUND

Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease involving pilosebaceous units. Both innate and adaptive immunity, especially the T helper 17 pathway, may contribute to the inflammatory response in acne.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed at evaluation of serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) level in patients with acne vulgaris in order to assess its role in disease pathogenesis and its clinical significance.

METHODS

Serum IL-17 level was measured by an ELISA technique in 80 acne vulgaris patients and 80 apparently healthy controls.

RESULTS

Serum IL-17 level was significantly higher in acne vulgaris patients than control group (P < 0.001). Moreover, it was increasing significantly with the increase in disease severity and in patients with scarring lesions (P < 0.001 each).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum IL-17 is not only a biomarker of disease pathogenesis but also it could be a potential prognostic predictor for severity and scarring in acne vulgaris.