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Antimicrobial susceptibility of Propionibacterium acnes isolated from acne vulgaris

I Kurokawa1, S Nishijima, S Kawabata

  • 1Department of Dermatology, Hyogo Prefectural Tsukaguchi Hospital, 6-8-17, Minamitsukaguchi-cho, Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-0012, Japan.

European Journal of Dermatology : EJD
|January 28, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Antimicrobial resistance in acne vulgaris is a growing concern. This study found Propionibacterium acnes strains resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, doxycycline, and tetracycline, but not minocycline, suggesting its utility.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Dermatology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Systemic and topical antimicrobials are standard acne vulgaris treatments in Japan.
  • Increasing antimicrobial resistance in Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) poses a therapeutic challenge.

Observation:

  • This study evaluated the susceptibility of 50 P. acnes strains to 10 antimicrobial agents using the agar dilution method.
  • Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were determined according to Japan Society of Chemotherapy criteria.

Findings:

  • Erythromycin (EM), ampicillin (ABPC), and clindamycin (CLDM) showed the highest potency (MIC).
  • EM and ABPC demonstrated the strongest MIC80 values, followed by CLDM, nadifloxacin (NDFX), minocycline (MINO), cephalexin (CEX), doxycycline (DOXY), ofloxacin (OFLX), tetracycline (TC), and gentamicin (GM).
  • While most strains were susceptible, resistance was observed for EM (4%), CLDM (4%), DOXY (2%), and TC (2%). Notably, no P. acnes strains resistant to MINO were detected.

Implications:

  • The emergence of resistant P. acnes strains necessitates careful selection of antimicrobial therapy.
  • Minocycline (MINO) demonstrates significant efficacy against P. acnes, with minimal observed resistance, positioning it as a valuable treatment option for acne vulgaris.

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