1Department of Biochemistry, Gandhi Medical College & Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
2Department of Dermatology, Gandhi Medical College & Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
*Corresponding Author E-mail: drcrekha@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 21 September, 2013.
To determine the serum zinc levels in young patients suffering from Acne vulgaris.
The study included 50 young female patients, aged between 13 and 19 years, suffering from Acne vulgaris (patients group) and 25 age matched healthy female attenders of patients without acne (control group). The zinc levels were measured in the serum obtained from the fasting blood of patients group and control group.
The serum zinc level was lower than normal in 50 out of 50 patients (100%), and in none out of 25 controls (0%). The mean zinc levels were significantly lower in patients with acne (24.4 ± 2.4μg/dl) than in controls (99.4 ± 4.5 μg/dl).
We conclude that zinc supplementation as an adjunctive therapy in acne patients with low serum zinc level may increase the success rate of acne treatment as zinc deficiency is one of the causes of this disease.
Acne vulgaris, Serum Zinc
