Effect of Dihydrotestosterone on the Upregulation of Inflammatory Cytokines in Cultured Sebocytes

The study examined how dihydrotestosterone (DHT) affects the production of inflammatory cytokines in sebocytes, which are linked to acne development. Using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR, the researchers found that DHT treatment increased the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, both in protein and mRNA expression, but did not affect IL-1 levels. These findings indicate that DHT may play a role in acne by promoting the production of specific proinflammatory cytokines in sebocytes. The exact number of sebocyte cultures used was not provided in the study.