Isolation and identification of microorganisms in acne patients

Abstract

Background and objective: Acne is a follicular skin disease most frequently occurring during the adolescent or the teenage years of a person's life. It has been found that around 85% of teenagers suffer from this skin disorder worldwide. However, acne is not only restricted to teenagers but in many cases continues well into adulthood. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of acne in relation to age in Erbil City, and isolation and identification of microorganisms in acne patients. Methods: Specimens were collected from inflamed and discharging pus from 160 acne patients (74 male, 86 female) attending the Department of Dermatology in Rizgari Teaching Hospital in Erbil city. The cultures were examined using the Vitek-2 compact system.Results: Among 160 samples taken, 150 (99%) were culture positive. From there 70 (46.6%) were male and 80 (53.3%) were female. Only ten (6.25%) samples revealed no growth. The highest prevalence of acne was 32 (20.0%) at age group (15-17) years of both genders. The most frequent etiological agent isolated (aerobically) bacteria from acne patients was Staphylococcus epidermidis (27.08%), and the most common anaerobic pathogen bacteria species were Propionibacterium acnes, 25 (13.02%), while among fungi Candida albicans was the most common fungi representing nine (64.29%) isolates.Conclusion: Gram-positive bacteria were the most common microorganisms involved in acne infection. There are variations in the incidence of acne infection in relation to sex, age, and socioeconomic level