The Relationship Between Acne Vulgaris and Metabolic Syndrome

According to a study published in Cureus, the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) may have a potential role in explaining the relationship between acne vulgaris (AV) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in acne pathogenesis.

Researchers aimed to explore the relationship between AV and MetS by investigating the involvement of the mTOR complex 1 signaling pathway, forkhead box protein 01 (FoxO1), and specific microRNAs associated with these pathways.

Twenty patients with AV and without MetS, 16 patients with AV and MetS, and 20 healthy control individuals were included in the study. Various parameters, including demographic characteristics, MetS parameters, clinical severity of AV (assessed by the Global Acne Grading System [GAGS]), and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) values, were compared among the groups. Additionally, the expression levels of FoxO1, mTOR, and miR-21, miR-29b, and miR-98 were measured in skin biopsy samples using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

The findings revealed that patients with AV and MetS had higher HOMA values, indicating insulin resistance, particularly among those with moderate GAGS scores. FoxO1 expression was significantly lower in patients with AV compared to controls, whereas mTOR expression was significantly higher in patients with AV and MetS. Moreover, miR-21 and miR-29b expression levels were elevated in patients with AV and MetS compared to those without MetS.

These results suggest that the mTOR pathway may contribute to the association between AV and MetS in acne pathogenesis. Additionally, miR-21 and miR-29b may play a role in the inflammatory process of AV. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between AV and MetS, potentially paving the way for novel therapeutic approaches targeting these pathways.

Reference
Akdağ N, Atli E, Zhuri D, Sezgi Ner Güler H, Gürsel Ürün Y. A study of FoxO1, mTOR, miR-21, miR-29b, and miR-98 expression levels regarding metabolic syndrome in acne vulgaris patients. Cureus. Published online March 20, 2024. doi:10.7759/cureus.56562