| Pantothenic
Acid (B5) Deficiency As The Cause of Acne
Leung
LH.
Department
of General Surgery, Hong Kong Central Hospital, Hong Kong.
For years, the pathogenesis
of acne vulgaris has been known to be strongly influenced by hormonal
factors. However, the exact role of and the interrelationship among
the various hormones in question have not been well elucidated.
Here, I wish to suggest a radically different theory for its pathogenesis
and relate its basic pathology to a deficiency in pantothenic acid,
a vitamin hitherto not known to cause any deficiency syndrome in
humans. Hence, the effect of hormonal factors in this disease entity
becomes secondary to that of the availability of pantothenic acid.
A complete cure of this condition is effected by a very liberal
replacement therapy with the vitamin.
One hundred patients
of Chinese descent were included in the study, 45 males and 55 females.
The range of age was 10-30, and with 80% between 13 and 23. There
was a large difference in the degree of severity of the disease
process among patients. They were given orally 10 grams of pantothenic
acid (B5) per day in 4 divided doses. To enhance the local effect,
the patients were also asked to apply a cream consisting of 20%
B5 to the affected areas, 4-6 times per day.
With this treatment, response was almost immediate.
1-2 days after treatment had started, there was a noticeable decrease
in sebum secretion. Within 1-2 weeks, the frequency of new acne
eruptions began to decline and existing lesions started to regress.
What followed then was a process of steady and gradual improvement.
In the cases of moderate severity, the disease process was usually
brought under complete control within 8 weeks, with only occasional
new eruptions. In severe cases, complete control of the disease
process may take up to 6 months longer.
No side effects
have been found with the administering of B5 at the present dose
of 10g per day, as the compound is a water-soluble vitamin. Furthermore,
with the present method of treatment, not only is acne cured and
brought under control, but the enlarged pore size of skin follicles
in the diseased state also shrinks or reverts to its former size,
resulting in a smoother skin.
Publication Types:
· Clinical Trial
· Controlled Clinical Trial
PMID: 7476595 [PubMed
- indexed for MEDLINE]
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