Abstract

Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the skin which is usually seen in adolescence. Zinc is a trace element which has important roles in many cellular functions and its deficiency can result in the development of acne-like papulo pustular lesions. The aim of this study was to compare serum zinc levels between the patients with mild to moderate acne and healthy volunteers. This case control study included 60 patients with mild to moderate acne according to Global Acne Grading System. Our control group consisted of 120 healthy volunteers who had been referring to the laboratory for routine tests. Serum zinc levels in the case and control groups were measured and compared with each other. The mean serum zinc levels in the case and control groups were 81.96±16.97 and 87.13±19.59μg/dl respectively, which did not show any significant difference (p=0.083). The mean serum zinc level was 79.5±14.6 in the women and 83±21.1 μg/dl in the men with acne vulgaris which had no significant difference (p=0.14). Also, the mean serum zinc levels in the patients with mild acne and patients with moderate acne were 86.7±16.8 and 79.9±16.8 μg/dl respectively which revealed no significant statistical difference (p=0.16). Considering the lower serum zinc levels in the acne patients, compared to healthy volunteers, use of zinc supplements can increase the treatment success rate.