Is Acne Caused by More than One Bacteria?
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Acne is a remarkably common disorder affecting up to 80% of teenagers, and persisting into adult life for many, especially women.
There is no single cause of acne, although a genetic predisposition, hormones, stress and diet may all play a role.
The skin bacteria Propionibacterium acnes (P.acnes) lives primarily in the oily sebaceous material of skin pores.
There is large increase in colonization of the oil glands with P.acnes at puberty. P.acnes is thought to contribute to the inflammation, pimples, pustules and cysts of acne.
Some researchers have speculated that there may be other bacteria involved in acne.
The study cited below evaluated the bacteria flora in both acne and non-acne pores and concludes that only P.acnes seems to be playing a roles in acne formation.
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References:
1. American Society for Microbiology October 21 2008
New Study Claims Acne Is Not Associated With Yet-Uncultured Bacteria.
2. Science Daily
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