ORIGINALI ARTICLES   

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2006 October;141(5):439-48

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Dermatological and instrumental evaluation of the activity of a new dermocosmetic product adjuvant in the treatment of acne

Sparavigna A. ¹, Setaro M. ¹, Sormani S. ², Bergamaschi M. ²

¹ DermIng Institute of Clinical Research and Bioengineering Monza, Milan, Italy 2 Farmaka S.r.l. Grandate, Como, Italy

Aim. Although the pathogenesis of acne is not completely clarified, there exists a general agreement in considering this skin disorder as the result of a complicated interplay of multiple factors, such as ductal epidermal hyperproliferation, excess sebum, local inflammation, and microbial colonization with the presence of Propionibacterium acnes, each of these factors contributing in a different way to the development of acne. During the last 20 years, the number of topical and systemic drugs for the treatment of acne has been largely increased by the discovery and introduction of new drugs or further developments of already available therapeutic agents. This includes topical antibiotics, retinoids, topical antimicrobials, along with benzoyl peroxide and azelaic acid. Cosmetic preparations are also widely used for the treatment of acne, whose cosmetic formulation and the selected products meet the guidelines for sensitive skin. This paper describes the results obtained in a group of healthy volunteers affected by mild to moderate degree of acne who have been treated for 4 weeks with a cosmetic preparation, named Acne cream, that contains neolignans extracted from the roots of Krameria, lauric acid and escin-β-sitosterol complex, a formulation intended as a coadjuvant for the treatment of acne.
Methods. Thirty-two healthy volunteers, 20 females and 12 male aged 13 to 45 years (average 22 years) who did not receive specific treatment for one month before the beginning of the study were enrolled. All the patients had clinically diagnosed mild to moderate degree of acne according to the classification reported by Cunliffe and Shuster and gave their informed consent.
Results. The results obtained in this study show that the continuous application of this preparation is able to reduce the increase of sebum in the investigated areas to a significant extent, possibly by controlling its outpouring to the cutaneous surface. Moreover, the treatment did reduce the presence of Propionobacterium acnes, Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in the same skin areas. These results showed a significant diminution of the major clinical signs associated to acne pathology, including erythema, scaling and the number of papule and pustules. Significant attenuation of subjective symptoms, such as itch and pain have also been observed.
Conclusions. The overall results coupled with an excellent tolerability and the subjective statement of a significant clinical efficacy and good cosmetic acceptability indicate that Acne cream could be considered a valid coadjuvant for the treatment of acne.