Several dermatological diseases can have a huge impact on the psychological state of patients, such as urticaria, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne vulgaris. To find a "gold standard" biomarker for chronic stress in acne patients is challenging and difficult due to the complex etiology of chronic stress and its variable manifestations.

The objective of this study was to assess the association between serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the occurrence and severity of acne vulgaris. The study also aimed to evaluate the correlation of this biomarker to both the quality of patients lives (QoL) and the degree of psychological stress.

Sixty patients with acne vulgaris were included with twenty healthy, age- and sex-matched participants as a control group. Patients had filled a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. Both patients and controls groups filled a Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) and identified stress scale-10 (PSS) questionnaires. Serum levels of BDNF were also evaluated for patients and controls using ELISA technique.

The results of the study revealed that patients with acne had significantly lower levels of BDNF and higher scores of HADS and PSS-10 questionnaires. A negative connection was found between serum levels of BDNF and PSS questionnaire scores, which was significant. Thus, the study concluded that patients with acne are at a higher risk of developing chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. A good predictor for evaluating chronic stress in such patients is BDNF.

Source: Mikhael NW, Hamed AM, Mansour AI, Abdelrahman ES. Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with acne vulgaris. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2019;18(6):1998-2003. doi:10.1111/jocd.12940