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Skin surface lipid composition, acne, pubertal development, and urinary excretion of testosterone and 17-ketosteroids
Insights
Acne in children, even before other pubertal signs, is linked to increased sebum and androgenic steroid excretion. This study tracked sebum, acne, and urinary steroids in children aged 5-10 over one year.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Dermatology
- Steroid Biochemistry
Background:
- Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition in adolescents.
- Early signs of puberty can be subtle and difficult to detect.
- The relationship between sebum production, pubertal development, and steroid excretion in children requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interrelationship between sebum, acne, pubertal development, and urinary steroid excretion in children aged 5-10.
- To determine if acne development precedes other signs of pubertal maturation.
- To correlate sebaceous lipid composition and quantity with androgenic steroid levels.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 52 children (30 boys, 22 girls) over 1 year.
- Forehead skin lipid composition analyzed quarterly using thin-layer chromatography.
- Pubertal maturation, acne presence, and 24-hour urinary steroid excretion (testosterone, 17-ketosteroids, etc.) assessed biannually.
Main Results:
- Sebaceous lipid levels (wax esters, squalene, triglycerides, diglycerides) positively correlated with age.
- Acne (primarily comedonal) occurred in 27 children and was associated with higher sebum values.
- Increased sebum and urinary 17-ketosteroids, androsterone, etiocholanolone, and in boys, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone, were observed in children with acne.
Conclusions:
- Acne development in children is an early pubertal event, often appearing before other pubertal signs.
- Increased sebum production and elevated urinary androgenic steroid excretion are associated with childhood acne.
- These findings highlight the role of androgens in the early stages of acne development.
Abstract:
Fifty-two children, age 5-10, from acne-prone families, were studied for a period of 1 year to examine the interrelationship between sebum, acne, pubertal development, and urinary steroid excretion. In each of the subjects, 30 boys and 22 girls, the composition of forehead skin lipid was determined 4 times yearly by thin-layer chromatography, with measurement of triglycerides, diglycerides, free fatty acids, wax esters, squalene, cholesterol, and cholesterol esters. Twice yearly, examination was made of the presence or absence of acne, pubertal maturation and the 24-hour urinary excretion of testosterone as determined by radioimmunnoassay, and of total 17-ketosteroids, dehydroepiandrosterone, androsterone, and etiocholanolone, as determined by paper chromatography. The relative amount of sebaceous lipids was positively correlated with age of the subjects (wax esters p less than .001, squalene p less than .05), as was the triglyceride-diglyceride component (p less than .05). No significant correlation was seen with the fatty acids. Acne, primarily comedonal, occurred in 27/52 subjects (15 girls, 12 boys) and was associated with higher sebum values. One-half of the children with acne had no signs of pubertal development. A significantly positive correlation was observed between the relative amount of sebaceous lipid and the urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids, androsterone, and etiocholanolone in both sexes, and of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone in boys. The development of acne in children is an early pubertal event, often evident before other signs of pubertal maturation, and it is associated with an increase in sebum and in the urinary excretion of androgenic steroids.