Lipid Analysis of Follicular Casts from Cyanoacrylate Strips as a New Method for Studying Therapeutic Effects of Anti-Acne Agents

    Anja Thielitz, Marten Helmdach, Eva-Maria Röpke, Harald Gollnick
    TLDR The method effectively measures lipid changes and drug effects on skin follicles.
    The study optimized the cyanoacrylate follicular biopsy method to analyze lipid composition changes in the sebaceous follicular infundibulum due to topical therapies. Six patient groups were treated with various antiacne agents, and lipid profiles were assessed before and 12 weeks after treatment. Antimicrobial therapies led to a significant decrease in free fatty acids and an increase in triglycerides, suggesting lipolysis due to microbial colonization. Topical retinoids resulted in a significant increase in ceramide subfractions, indicating their effect on epidermal keratinization. The method proved effective for non-invasive, objective assessment of lipid changes and drug effects on the follicular infundibulum.
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