Association of Interleukin 15 Serum Level with Different Clinical Severities of Acne Vulgaris

Background: Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous units with multifactorial pathogenesis. Interleukin 15 (IL-15), is a protein linked to various autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.Aims: To assess the concentration of IL-15 in the blood of individuals with acne vulgaris, comparing patients with varying degrees of acne severity to healthy individuals without acne. Materials and Methods: The research involved 40 individuals diagnosed with acne vulgaris and 40 healthy participants as a control group. Blood samples were taken from both the acne patients and the control group to measure IL-15 levels using a test called ELISA. Results: No significant difference was noted between acne patients and control groups regarding serum IL-15. The diagnostic accuracy of IL15 expression in prediction of sever mild cases is good, confidence interval (CI%) (51% – 90%) and p value =0.039 at a cut-off value of IL15 level of > 43 ng/ml. The diagnostic accuracy of IL15 expression in prediction of sever and very severe cases is good, CI% (55% – 96%) and p value =0.025 at a cut-off value of IL15 level of ≤ 42 ng/ml. There was a significant moderate negative correlation between serum IL-15 and the acne score (r= -0.477, p= 0.002). No significant correlation was noted between the serum biomarker and either of age, age of onset, or disease duration. Conclusions: As acne became more severe, the levels of IL-15 in the blood significantly decreased. This suggests that IL-15 may play a role in how acne develops and progresses.