In collaboration with Dr. Nobukazu Hayashi of Toranomon Hospital, Professor Takashi Sato of Tokyo Pharmaceutical University and others found that acne patients have anxiety regardless of the severity of acne, and that acne has a high degree of anxiety. It was revealed that patients had more normetanephrine, a catecholamine metabolite, in the hair follicles of the lesion.

 Acne (acne) is a skin disease that begins around puberty, regardless of gender.It is known that androgen-dependent increase in sebum production is the cause of acne, but many people cite stress as one of the aggravating factors in patients who develop acne during or after puberty.In fact, psychological stress from work, school, and relationships correlates with the exacerbation of acne, which in turn causes anxiety and depression in patients and lowers quality of life.However, there is little scientific evidence regarding the relationship between the pathology of acne patients and psychological stress.

 The research group now reveals that all acne patients surveyed are anxious, regardless of severity.They found that the hypothalamic-sympathetic-adrenal medulla axis (SAM axis) of the stress response mechanism was activated in patients with higher anxiety.In addition, it was confirmed for the first time that adrenaline and noradrenaline and their metabolites metanephrine and normetanephrine were present in the hair follicles of acne lesions.Among them, the amount of normetanephrine was significantly higher in patients with high anxiety, and it was clarified that it showed a positive correlation with the activation of the SAM axis.

 The results of this research are expected to contribute to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic methods for stress-induced acne focusing on normetanephrine, as well as suggesting the need for stress control in acne treatment.

Paper information:[Journal of Dermatology] An increase in normetanephrine in hair follicles of acne lesions through the sympatho-adrenal medullary system in acne patients with anxiety

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