Serum interleukin-17 as a novel biomarker in patients with acne vulgaris

Background: Acne vulgaris is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease involving pilosebaceous units. Both innate and adaptive immunity, especially the T helper 17 pathway, may contribute to the inflammatory response in acne. Objectives: We aimed at evaluation of serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) level in patients with acne vulgaris in order to assess its role in disease pathogenesis and its clinical significance. Methods: Serum IL-17 level was measured by an ELISA technique in 80 acne vulgaris patients and 80 apparently healthy controls. Results: Serum IL-17 level was significantly higher in acne vulgaris patients than control group (P < 0.001). Moreover, it was increasing significantly with the increase in disease severity and in patients with scarring lesions (P < 0.001 each). Conclusions: Serum IL-17 is not only a biomarker of disease pathogenesis but also it could be a potential prognostic predictor for severity and scarring in acne vulgaris.