Investigating serum procalcitonin levels in rosacea: a cross-sectional case-control study

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Immunology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition linked to immune system dysregulation and microbial factors.
• Procalcitonin (PCT) is a known marker for bacterial inflammation, but its specific role in rosacea pathogenesis is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels in individuals with rosacea compared to healthy controls.
• To explore the relationship between PCT levels and different rosacea treatment modalities and clinical characteristics.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 60 rosacea patients and 20 healthy controls.
• Serum PCT levels were measured using fluorescence immunoassay.
• Statistical analysis included Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and multivariate linear regression to compare groups and identify predictors.

Main Results:

• Rosacea patients exhibited significantly higher serum PCT levels than controls (0.18 ± 0.06 vs. 0.12 ± 0.04 ng/mL).
• Elevated PCT was noted in untreated and topically treated patients, whereas systemic therapy (doxycycline plus metronidazole) reduced PCT levels to those comparable with controls (0.10 ± 0.004 ng/mL).
• Systemic therapy negatively predicted PCT levels (β = -0.55, p < 0.001), and the papulopustular subtype positively predicted elevated PCT (β = 0.23, p = 0.039).

Conclusions:

• Serum PCT may serve as an indicator of subclinical inflammation in rosacea.
• Systemic treatment appears to effectively lower PCT levels in rosacea patients.
• Further research into PCT's utility as a biomarker for rosacea is warranted.