Endocrinologic evaluation of male patients with Acne Vulgaris

Background and aim: Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous units. Its etiology is unknown. However, several studies have shown that some endocrinologic factors are involved in acne pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess some endocrionlogic indices in male patients with acne vulgaris and comparing them with normal controls.Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 40 male patients with acne referred to Razi hospital during the first 9 months of 1382, and 20 age-matched healthy subjects were selected. Plasma level of insulin, fasting blood sugar (FBS), free testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were determined and compared between the groups.Results: The mean FBS level was 89.8±13.3 mg/dl in patients with acne and 91.1±16.3 in controls (P=0.017). The mean free testosterone level in cases and controls were 24.8±12.01 and 21.4±10.8 nmol/L, respectively (P=0.029).Conclusion: In this study, the testosterone level in patients with acne was higher and the FBS level was lower than controls. It is recommended that these indices be taken into consideration in male patients with acne.