Association of Acne Vulgaris and Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Case-control Study

Document Type : New and original researches in the field of Microbiology.

Authors

1 Dermatology Department, Ministry of Health, Egypt

2 Dermatology Department, Andrology and STDs, Mansoura Medical College

3 Clinical Pathology Department, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine

4 Dermatology, Andrology & STDs Department, Mansoura, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura Medical College

Abstract

Background: Acne Vulgaris (AV) is a common skin condition that affects people of all ages. Dermatologic disorders such as Behcet's disease (BD), Henoch-Schoenlein purpura, and psoriasis vulgaris (PV) have been linked to Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori). There is debate regarding the relationship between H. pylori infection and other dermatological conditions including AV. Objective: To evaluate the levels of H.pylori antigen (Ag) in cases with AV, to find out possible association of H. pylori with AV and its severity. Methodology: The sixty participants in this prospective case control study were divided into two groups: the case group, which consisted of 30 AV patients, and the control group, which also comprised 30 healthy controls (HC) of similar age and sex. Determination of acne severity was done using “global acne grading system”. Fresh stool samples from each subject were sent to the laboratory for detection of H. pylori Ag by using rapid quantitative method which depends on FIA (Fluorescent Immunoassay) using automated analyzer Gotten device. Results: Half (50%) of the studied acne cases had severe degree acne, 30% had moderate degree acne and 20% mild degree acne. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between H. pylori antigen and either of acne severity and Global score. The H. pylori antigen did not significantly correlate with sex, domicile, occupation, or marital status in either of the two cases.The amount and expression of H. pylori antigen were statistically significantly correlated with acne severity. The H.pylori Ag expression showed a significantly higher expression in severe acne group (100%) compared to mild acne group (16.7%) and moderate group (11.1%). Conclusion: The results of this investigation showed a favorable correlation between H. pylori infection and both AV severity and global score. The H. pylori antigen has a modest sensitivity and specificity, making it capable of distinguishing between cases and control groups.

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