All of the healthy controls (no acne) subjects declared that they had acne 1–3 years ago. In the current study we investigated differences in sebum composition between males, 15–20 years old, with no acne, or with severe acne. 15, 16 The only association found was lower levels of linoleic acid in acne patients and its displacement from sebaceous fatty acids in acylceramides of surface epidermal lipids. So far two studies have been reported and of course with a much smaller group size (n = 5 or 6). This is undoubtedly due to the cumbersome and laborious task that the individual extraction, separation and quantitation of lipids consists of. 14 Only few studies undertook the task to dissect the individual sebaceous lipids in search for specific lipids that could associate with the prevalence of acne. Sebutape™ is a specially designed tape that was proven to be reproducible and convenient to estimate sebaceous gland output.14 In addition Sebutape™ could also be used for collecting sebum for further quantitation of its components. Most of the published studies assessed the total sebum output by instrumental analysis (sebumeter) or self-evaluation or by a sebum absorbent tape (Sebutape™). 12 Moreover a recent study showed a correlation between higher sebum output and acne development. This study indicated that a high sebum secretion rate is the decisive factor in inflammatory acne. One of the very first studies focused on the measurements of the sebum secretion rate after an extensive depletion of previously secreted sebum with a bentonite clay and the subsequent use of specially designed disks. Several studies focused on dissecting the relationship between sebum output and the pathophysiology of acne. 10, 11 Our study aimed to identify possible lipid components within sebum, that could correlate with acne-prone skin their possible association with the molecular and cellular events involved in the generation of the acne lesion. The accumulation of squalene and the presence of unique fatty acids and lipids are unique manifestations of sebum. Since acne is unique to humans it suggests that the unique sebaceous lipids might be associated with this human specific disease. While sebum is associated with acne in adolescence, it may also be of a benefit in lubricating the skin and contributing to a better skin barrier. 4 – 7 Sebum coats the hair and skin surface following a holocrine secretion into the infundibulum of the hair follicle.Įlevated sebum excretion is involved in the pathophysiology of acne, 2, 8, 9 as body parts rich in sebaceous glands are the areas where acne lesions are manifested. Sebum, a product of the sebaceous gland, is a mixture of lipids composed mainly of triglycerides (TG), wax esters (WE), squalene, free fatty acids (FFA) and smaller amounts of cholesterol, cholesterol esters (ChoE) and diglycerides. 3 Due to its close association with the hair follicle it forms the pilosebaceous unit of the skin. 2 The sebaceous gland is considered nowadays to be an important endocrine organ embedded in the skin. 1 Although its cause is multifactorial, changes in sebaceous gland functions including increased production of sebum is thought to be involved in the development of the disease. Acne is a skin disease affecting millions of young adults worldwide.
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