The effects of isotretinoin on the ovarian reserve of females with acne

There are some side effects of isotretinoin in many organs. However, a study investigating the effects of isotretinoin on the human ovarian reserve has not been reported previously. The study was conducted to investigate possible effects of isotretinoin on ovarian reserve. Serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels were measured at the beginning and at the end of isotretinoin treatment in 22 patients with acne and in 22 women without. The mean AMH level before treatment was 5.77 ng/mL in the study group and 3.79 ng/mL in the control group (p =0.008). Following treatment, the mean AMH level was 4.69 ng/mL in the study group. This mean AMH level after treatment was statistically lower than the AMH level before treatment (p= 0.012). There was no significant difference between the mean AMH level at the end of treatment and that of the control group (p= 0.20). The high level of pre-treatment AMH levels could be an evidence of hyperandrogenism in women with acne, even if they are not identified as having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or hyperandrogenism. Decrease in AMH levels following exposure to isotretinoin may suggest that it has a detrimental effect on the ovaries

Effects of isotretinoin on serum vitamin E levels in patients with acne

Anecdotal reports suggest that using retinoids with vitamin E leads to improvements of some side effects due to isotretinoin. However, vitamin E blood levels have not been reported previously in patients with acne treated with isotretinoin. We aimed to investigate the serum vitamin E levels before and after isotretinoin therapy in patients with acne. A total of 70 patients treated with isotretinoin for acne in our dermatology department were included in this study. The serum vitamin E levels were measured as baseline before isotretinoin treatment. All patients received 0.60.8mg/kg/d isotretinoin. The treatment was finished within 57months while ensuring that the cumulative dose was 120mg/kg. Serum vitamin E levels were measured again in the last month of treatment. The mean serum vitamin E levels before and after treatment were compared. Forty-six patients completed the study. It was detected that the mean serum vitamin E level was 20.22mg/dl before isotretinoin treatment. In the last month of treatment, the mean serum vitamin E level was 16.24mg/dl. Serum vitamin E levels decreased in all patients except three. The mean serum vitamin E level after treatment was statistically decreased in comparison with the mean serum vitamin E level before treatment. Our results showed that vitamin E levels decreased during isotretinoin treatment. We considered that some of the side effects due to isotretinoin treatment might be related to this, and supplementation vitamin E may be useful during isotretinoin treatment

Social media use in patients with acne vulgaris: What do patients expect from social media?

Background Acne vulgaris (AV) may affect external appearance and significantly deteriorate the quality of life of patients. Therefore, patients make various inquiries about their disease and seek treatment options.Aims To investigate the social media usage habits of patients with AV concerning their diseases, and their recommendations for dermatologists related to social media use.Methods A total of 1609 patients with AV completed the survey prepared by the authors and the Cardiff Acne Disability Index questionnaire. The Food and Drug Administration severity scores and clinical information of the patients were noted by their physicians.Results Of the 1,489 patients who stated that they used social media, 46.31% regularly and 28.77% sometimes referred to these sources to make inquiries about AV. Social media usage for AV was statistically significantly higher in women, participants with short term and severe disease, those with a moderate income level, and those using topical treatment and cosmetics. They mostly used Google (67%), Instagram (54%), and YouTube (49%). While 76% of the participants stated that they did not share what they saw on the Internet with their doctor. Of the respondents, 18.5% were trying to contact their dermatologists through the Internet, and 69.73% would prefer experts such as dermatologists to post-AV-related content.Conclusions Our study shows that patients frequently resort to social media to seek information about AV. In the changing digital world order, it is observed that there is a need for dermatologists to use social media more actively to share accurate information about AV