Proteome Analysis of Human Sebaceous Follicle Infundibula Extracted from Healthy and Acne-Affected Skin

This study aimed to understand acne vulgaris by analyzing sebaceous follicular casts from 18 healthy and 20 acne-affected individuals using mass spectrometry. It identified both human and bacterial proteins, revealing that normal skin was enriched with proteins like prohibitins and peroxiredoxins, which protect against stress. In contrast, acne-affected skin contained proteins related to inflammation, wound healing, and tissue remodeling, such as myeloperoxidase and vimentin. The study highlighted the significant role of the biological process 'response to a bacterium' in acne, with bacterial proteins exclusively from Propionibacterium acnes, including dermatan sulphate adhesins and CAMP factors. This was the first proteomic study to identify both human and skin microbiota proteins in sebaceous follicular casts.