Open AccessPropionibacterium acnes and the Th1/Th17 Axis, implications in acne pathogenesis and treatment
Author(s) -
Kabir Sardana,
Verma Gr
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
indian journal of dermatology/indian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.395
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1998-3611
pISSN - 0019-5154
DOI - 10.4103/ijd.ijd_483_16
Subject(s) - propionibacterium acnes , medicine , acne , pathogenesis , dermatology , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , biology
Acne vulgaris is one of the most commonly seen conditions and the immunological link is a topic of active research. Recently, the Th17 pathway has been found to play a pivotal role in acne. The adaptive immune response toward Propionibacterium acnes leads to activation of Th17 axis. Consequently, the Th17 cytokines (IL-17, IL-1 β, IL-6, and tumor growth factor, in turn, activate the various pathogenic steps in acne. Drugs such as Vitamin D3 and isotretinoin which target the Th17 pathway may offer an additional pathway for their therapeutic response.