Abstract

Isotretinoin is used as a second line treatment for patients with acne vulgaris despite characteristic skin drying and the counter-indication of use during pregnancy. Commonly in clinical practice, patients prescribed isotretinoin have previously been treated with an array of oral antibiotics that have induced changes in the diversity and antibiotic resistance status of skin microbiota. The present study reports on the recovery and analysis of skin microbiota from 20? patients (male/female … mean age ) before, during and after treatment with a 16 week course of isotretinoin (1mg/kg body weight). The number and identity of bacterial isolates recovered from three specific sites per patient were compared with an age-matched control group of healthy volunteers. Results indicated that before treatment both investigated groups had similar numbers of organisms on the skin surface of the (sites). However, …/20 patients investigated had greater number of antibiotic (?specific eryth, tet, pen) resistant isolates than the healthy volunteers. A pronounced reduction both in the number and incidence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was observed in the isotretinoin treated group during/following 13 days/4 weeks of treatment? Since isotretinoin has little known antibacterial activity against skin microbiota the observed changes in skin microbial ecology in patients is surprising. Investigations are in hand to extend these studies.