Serum High-sensitive C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin-6 and Malondialdehyde Levels in Acne Vulgaris and Their Correlation With Disease Severity: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Acne vulgaris (AV) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition primarily affecting adolescents and young adults. It is a multifactorial disorder characterized by the formation of open and closed comedones, papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts. Emerging evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially lipid peroxides (LPO), play a role in mediating acne inflammation. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is one of the byproducts of lipid peroxidation commonly used as a biomarker of cell damage. Objectives The primary objective of this study was to estimate inflammatory markers such as high-sensitive C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and an oxidative stress marker, malondialdehyde (MDA), in acne patients. The secondary objective was to find out their association with the Global Acne Grading System (GAGS) score. Methodology The cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology in collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research in Burla, Odisha. The study period was from August 2023 to January 2024. Participants aged 15-35 years of either sex having acne vulgaris (sample size 150) were examined clinically and severity of acne was evaluated by GAGS score. Results The present study included 69 men and 81 women. The mean age of men and women was 20.59±1.3 and 22.25±0.4 years, respectively. The mean Hs-CRP (2.40±0.52 mg/L), IL-6 (21±0.47 pg/ml) and MDA levels (3.57±1.31 nmol/ml) were higher in men than in women. The Hs-CRP (3.0±0.10 mg/L), IL-6 (8.75±1.63 pg/ml) and MDA (5.31±1.89 nmol/ml) levels were higher in the severe group than in moderate and mild groups with significance (p<0.05). Also, highly significant positive correlation of Hs-CRP (r= 0.137, p-value 0.009), IL-6 (r= 0.719, p-value 0.008) and MDA (r= 0.316, p- value 0.007) was observed when compared to mild and moderate groups. Conclusion There were differences in Hs-CRP, IL-6 and MDA levels based on the severity of acne vulgaris.